


Fate/Lost

by Shadowolf27



Series: Fate/Lost [1]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Dimension Travel, F/M, Mutual Attraction, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:04:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowolf27/pseuds/Shadowolf27
Summary: OC/Cú Chulainn. A sixth Grail War unfolds in America. A magus with a pedigree too young to be of any significance aims to defy her legacy and become an apprentice at the Clock Tower. Naomi dives headfirst into the brutal magi world with an Irish Servant in a fate riddled trilogy that once tried to erase her existence. (Also on Fanfiction.net under Shadowolf27).
Relationships: Cú Chulainn Alter | Berserker/Reader, Cú Chulainn | Caster & Reader, Cú Chulainn | Caster/You, Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Reader
Series: Fate/Lost [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702153
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been an on and off work in progress for almost six years. I'm finally saying F it and slapping it on the internet so I'll stop fiddling with it. I will be posting it here and on Fanficiton.net under Shadowolf27. I was writing this before characters from the likes of Apocrypha and Grand Order became part of the Fate Series, so familiar Servants may appear a bit different here in terms of looks and abilities. There is no Beta reader so be ready to embrace my self editing.

Wide, flat nostrils flared, steaming hot air over pin-point yellow eyes. The creature’s girth brushed an end table and a ceramic lamp shattered across the carpet with a dull crash. A mist moved with its heavy steps, surging forward to obscure its hulking humanoid form.

The mist rolled over a reaching clawed hand and the monstrosity battered Naomi to the ground. She bounced off the carpet and stars danced across the black canvas of her vision. Pain blossomed in her side and she blindly backtracked into the wall.

Naomi bit her lip as her blood pounded her ears and her vision returned in wavering, diluted watercolors. Her precautions had been too weak. The barriers and warning systems had been in place. Her door was laced with magic but somehow, this monstrosity overloaded the warding runes as if they had never existed.

The summoning circle formatted for a Servant was laid out in the center of the living room. Preparations for the ritual had been completed mere moments ago and Naomi had been about to utter the first summoning when the creature had burst in. It had been as if it sensed the magic she had started to gather. 

A little girl’s sardonic laugh rang from the construct like a cracked bell. A scalpel the size of a sword materialized its grip and looked too sharp for comfort. Under Naomi’s sleeves, drawn runes burned bright, fueled by her natural prana. The palms of her hands glowed white and expelled a translucent, spinning cog the size of a serving plate. The blade hit the barrier and screeched as it scratched down the surface, creating a spray sparks from magic hitting magic.

The apartment shook when the sword bit into the floor like an anvil in freefall. Naomi jumped to her feet under a surge of adrenaline and the construct acted quickly with an upward stroke. The blade nicked her ear and tore off a silver erring that clattered to the floor.

Naomi’s eyes were blown wide and her ears were ringing. Blood dripped down the blade’s curved point and spotted the carpet. She had seen a few magical constructs before, but this thing went well and beyond an enchanted doll or tricky imagery. She had to finish the incantation for the summoning. Her abilities weren’t enough to fend the thing off on her own.

She unclasped her remaining earring and silently prayed one part of the catalyst would be enough. Blood was one of the best conduits for transferring her own prana into spells, so she smeared blood from her ton ear over the catalyst to speed up the process. She underhandedly threw it onto the summoning circle as the construct’s blade cut through the curling mists. Naomi clumsily avoided the attack and started chanting.

“Yourself is under me! my fate is in your sword! In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail…” Shit. She couldn’t quite remember the rest while trying to avoid being cleaved in half. “If you abide by this feeling, this reason. Answer! My oath. I am who will attain all virtues of Heaven; I shall have dominion over all evils of Hell.” How did the last bit go? Wasn’t it supposed to be her own oath? “Just get out here and kick this things ass!”

The aberration’s movements were growing slower. Either the amount of magic it contained was slowing it down or it was too far from its source to be more effective. Whatever the reason, it worked in Naomi’s favor. Red rays of light shot out from the summoning circle and converged into a blinding beam. Naomi felt her prana rapidly draining like blood rushing out her veins as she erected a spinning barrier and squinted her eyes against the onslaught.

The light subsided, and Naomi was morbidly relieved to see the scalpel blade embedded in the wall next to her shoulder. The aberration stared through her, dazed.

A _shing_ of a blade attached to hollow metal followed a red pole piercing through the construct’s midsection from behind.

“Attacking an unarmed opponent? You should be ashamed.”

A man dressed in a blue leotard that was engraved with silver markings pushed the lance further into the construct and lifted the creature into the air by a few inches. The man wore a feral, excited grin, and tossed the aberration away as if flinging a bale of hay.

The construct came loose and there was an outpouring of gray misty substance from where it had been impaled. The wound swirled shut and the sword in the wall vanished before re-materializing in the creature’s claws.

The man who was surely Naomi’s new Servant swung his lance in a circle. The Servant jumped back with the grace of a dancer and kicked at the beast only to find his foot had gone right through.

“What the hell is this?” He questioned as if insulted.

In his stumble the construct grabbed for his extended leg, but the Servant spun out of its reach. In the tussle Naomi narrowly avoided being grabbed instead. The living room was tight quarters for a brawl and there was no safe place to stand. She was amazed the Servant could move as well as he did with that large weapon in such a small space.

“Get out of the way! You’re my master, aren’t you? I’ll handle this thing!” The Servant shouted.

“It’s a magical construct!” Naomi said over the beasts growling. Servants were made of pure magic, like a construct, so the Servant’s attack should have connected. The only other solution she could think of was hitting the thing everywhere at once. Or… “It needs some kind of dispel!”

A dispel would destroy whatever magic was holding it together. The problem was finding out what kind of magic or core was keeping it together.

“Not a bad idea!” The Servant gleefully shouted.

The mist covered beast screamed with the shrill anger of a frustrated little girl. It charged at the blue-clad man who nimbly side stepped the creature. The lancer traced his fingers down his weapon as if writing something and twirled around to strike the beast across the back. It howled, sounding like a wounded child. It stomped its foot angrily and likely pissed off the neighbors living below.

The Servant tilted his head back toward Naomi without taking his eyes off the beast. “A dispel or a good beating. You might want to scooch further than that.”

“I’ll just phase through the floor,” she said tersely. There wasn’t anywhere to go except to jump over the couch and into the kitchen which was a one-way death trap.

“I didn’t know magi were ghosts now!” The Servant snarked.

Nostrils flaring, the beast roared, and it dissipated with the mist surrounding it. The gray cloud drifted into the air and disappeared into nothing.

“Coward!” The Servant slung his weapon it over his shoulders, hooking his elbows around the weapon’s shaft to let his wrists hang over the front. “The second they face a real opponent, they run.”

The construct left too easily, but she supposed it failed in its mission of killing her before her Servant could be summoned. Naomi leaned heavily against the wall. First crisis of the Grail War averted.

“It ran because it failed,” she assumed.

The Servant sighed in disappointment. “That thing didn’t give me time to get started. What you saw was nothing compared to what I’m capable of.” He faced her with his shoulders thrown back and an interested twinkle in his brilliant red eyes. “Am I right to assume you’re my Master?”

Blue bangs waved across his forehead and a ponytail rested over silver plated shoulders. His outfit left little to the imagination and showed off an impressive, lean athletic structure. He must have noticed her gauging expression because he stood a little straighter as if to give her a better view. The Servant certainly looked like he lived up to his historical namesake.

Everything about him looked normal, except those shining red eyes. They were almost like looking into the eyes of a wild, intelligent beast. Not a human.

“Yes. I’m Naomi. That thing wasn’t the welcoming I had planned but…” There was nothing she could have done about it.

With her adrenaline slowing down, she felt a throbbing burn in her torn ear. Runes lit up across her skin and glowed from under her sleeves and she gingerly touched the bloodied spot. The wound glowed green as the tear healed up and sealed itself as if the damage had never existed.

Lancer watched her every action with interest. “I’d rather hit the ground running, anyway. Naomi, eh?”

Due to the way he was summoned he wore a single silver earring. Hopefully that little detail wouldn’t hinder his abilities. Naomi’s eyes widened and she looked around at the ground. It wouldn’t look good if she lost half of the priceless catalyst. It was a museum quality artifact that was irreplaceable. She would also be as good as dead if it couldn’t be returned at the end of the war.

“I should introduce myself and seal the deal.” The Servant’s voice sharpened, and his smile fell to a straight line. “I am Cú Chulainn of Ulster appearing in the Lancer class. I’ve answered your summons and I pledge my life and my lance to you. I’m ready to kill your enemies.”

Naomi was taken aback that he would return her oath with one of his own.

His eyes softened and the cheeky wink he gave was so unexpected that Naomi’s face lit up under his wolfish grin. For a magical container he was freakishly life-like and handsome to boot. A Lancer was exceptionally good luck. It was one of the three knight classes which were supposed to be the strongest Servants. Her aunt hadn’t lied when she provided the catalyst. She half expected a Caster with her luck.

“It’s nice to meet you Cú Chulainn.” Naomi stiffly held out her hand and Lancer took it without hesitation.

She squeezed his hand to seal the deal, but Lancer decided to vigorously shake her arm up and down. His grip was twice as strong as hers and she would have fallen over if it hadn’t been for his firm grip.

“Nice to meet ya.” He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Her head was still rattling from the vigorous greeting. “Yeah. I-um. Make yourself at home.” She gestured at the living room that had pictures leaning against the walls and moving boxes stuffed next to the TV stand.

“Don’t mind if I do.” He walked about the room, inspecting everything his eyes could comb over. “This isn’t bad. Not bad at all.”

That was one way to describe the apartment that needed new carpet. The kitchen and living room shared the same space, separated by an open bar. The kitchen was shotgun style, closed in by counters and the perfect place to die in an ambush. There was a small hallway shooting off from the living room that led to the bedroom and bathroom. There was no guest bedroom so if Lancer needed to sleep, he would have to take the couch. She was ready to see the place go. It had served its purpose of seeing her through college.

“Sorry for the mess. I’ll be moving out after the Grail War and didn’t want to do it all at once.” Whether she won or lost, she was leaving this tiny apartment.

The deal was, if she won the Grail War, she could become an apprentice at the Clock Tower. If not, well. She wasn’t thinking about not winning. She would move to London and stalk Lord El-Melloi II if necessary.

“You look like a stranger in your own home standing over there. Why don’t you sit down?” Lancer patted the couch while Naomi watched on from the hallway.

Naomi had expected a Servant to be a vessel of magic awaiting commands. She imaged the Heroic Spirit title to refer to a visual representation of the container, not be a personality. Speaking of, she was curious about how magic could be its own container without losing form.

“I’m told Servants can be summoned because they want something from the Grail. What are you after?” She asked with point blank curiosity. 

A feral grin spread over Lancer’s face. “Right to the questions, huh? I don’t care about the Grail so you can relax. I don’t have any motivation to take it from you. I just like a good fight and I’m not choosey on how it happens.” He rested his elbows on his knees and curled inward in his seat.

Naomi was disappointed. “I wasn’t worried. Actually, I was hoping you did have a wish.” She only needed the Grail itself, not the wish granting part. Though, she would love to figure out how an object had been inlayed magic. It must have taken a powerful magus to create such a thing.

Lancer rested his arms on his legs and hunched his back. “Sorry to burst whatever plans you had, Master, but I don’t care for that cursed goblet.” He said her title with a small bit of disdain.

Her brow furrowed and she ran her fingers through her hair. “Cursed?”

Lancer hummed. “I’m grateful it gives me the opportunity to see battle and that’s as far as my interest extends.”

It wasn’t comforting to hear him throw caution at the objected that was mostly responsible for his existence. Nor how he avoided answering the question.

“You’re making me nervous by just standing there.” He chuckled. “I don’t know if I can make myself at home when you’re being all pensive. Lighten up a bit or you’ll put wrinkles in that pretty face of yours.”

Naomi hid her shaking hands behind her back. “I’m relaxed. I’m just thinking.”

She had a feeling she would need to watch the Lancer closely. She had hoped that by promising the wish to him, he would care more about the war. If he wasn’t after the Grail in particular, then he might put his priorities elsewhere. It didn’t make since that he wanted nothing in return. Unless she was unaware of a specific way he is bound by the summoning ritual. Her knowledge of what she had gotten herself into was frighteningly minimal.

Her concern must have shown on her face because Lancer’s features softened. “Don’t worry so much. If that thing comes back, I’ll kill it. You did a good job of holding it off as long as you did.”

“Thanks?” His praise took her by such surprise that she held her breath. He was too lifelike.

“I’m not a fan of leaving right now but I need to run some errands.” She doubted there would be another attack since her Servant was summoned but she didn’t want to stick around in-case a second one was on its way. Strengthening the runes could wait. And she wanted to study up a bit before replenishing her defenses.

Naomi grabbed her purse from the kitchen table then paused from a stray realization. “Do you know what a car is?”

It almost slipped her mind, but If he was a copy of a hero from the past, it would be weird if he knew what a car was. Or, if he was a magical container, he might not have a concept of a vehicle.

“Of course.” Lancer tapped his temple. “The Grail gives us Servants basic information of the current era when we’re summoned.” He grinned. “I can even drive.”

At least she wouldn’t have to explain how every little thing about modern life worked.

“Nice try but I’m driving. Do you want to come?” Maybe she could show him a bit of the area to get him familiar with this part of the city while she was at it.

“What are you asking for? Just say the word and I’m there.”

* * *

Naomi couldn’t stop glancing at the blood-red crest etched into the back of her hand. It sparkled in the light and felt warm. A stigma. It was the physical manifestation of magic she had called for from the Grail on top of the Servant. Within the three containers was enough magic to fuel any spell she wanted or control the Servant however she wished. There were three spells, but she counted them as two. Once the third one was gone, she would lose any and all connection with her Servant and effectively forfeit her place in the Grail War.

She tore her eyes away from the seals for the umpteenth time to scope out the paint isle of the supermarket. She figured now was as good a time as any to find a tub that fit the generic beige of her walls. She had meant to do her errands before summoning Lancer, but she had gotten a bad feeling and wanted to hurry up with the ritual. It was a good thing she had.

A few people milled about in the late evening and she could unconsciously sense Lancer’s presence nearby like a slight pressure in the air. She wondered what it was like being in spirit form. All she knew was that it conserved her mana and kept her Servant out of sight. She was curious on how he managed to make himself invisible. Perhaps he stretched his mana thin around the area, so he appeared invisible.

There. She found a matching color. Straining on her tiptoes, Naomi silently cursed the paint for being on the top shelf. She looked around for a step ladder that employees usually neglected to put up.

_“Need some help there, Master?”_

She jumped, not used to hearing someone else’s voice ring clear as bell in her mind.

Lancer materialized his physical body in shimmering pinpoints of light.

Naomi frantically waved her hands at him to try and cover his sudden appearance. “What are you doing? What if someone sees you poof into existence? What if it’s another Master or Servant’s around to see it?”

“Relax. No one’s around.” He put his hands on his hips and looked up. “Which one of these are you trying to reach?”

The deed had already been done so she reluctantly pointed up. “That one,” she muttered with an annoyed huff.

Lancer plucked the tube from the shelf and dangled it in front of her.

“Thanks,” she said tightly and took it from him. “You still shouldn’t appear in broad daylight.”

“I know this relationship is new, but you should be more willing to accept my help,” Lancer lightly chided with a tease dancing on his tongue. “What’s it going to be like in a fight if you can’t trust me to get something off a shelf?”

She scrunched her nose at being caught and scolded by a walking, talking container of magic that looked like a long dead myth. “I think I can win a fight against a shelf.”

Lancer laughed out of pure amusement. “I don’t doubt you could, but I’d like to beat it up a little too.”

Naomi took the offending item without understand why he was so hellbent on getting the tube of paint.

“You’re not here to act like a butler or maid.” No matter what, she wasn’t going to turn into one of those technology hating lazy magi who relied on magic for everything.

“Great, because I’m not a fan of scrubbing the floors.”

* * *

The items she bought dangled in the plastic bag at her side and skimmed over the snow melt marbling the asphalt. Banks of half frozen, muddy snow sloshed under her feet her breath came out in white puffs.

Her phone buzzed in her back packet and Naomi made a sound of annoyance. Whoever it was could wait until her fingers weren’t falling off from the cold.

Her car was in sight when Lancer’s internal voice caught her off guard. _“Careful. I sense a Servant nearby.”_

Nothing looked or felt amiss. _“Can you tell where?”_

 _“They’re close by, but I can’t see where they’re coming from.”_

She unlocked her mustang and threw her bags in while looking over her shoulder. Nothing had felt off before, but now there was a pricking sensation on her back as if she were being watched. Maybe it was just Lancer since she couldn’t see him.

Before she could react, a metal chain cracked around her ankle and dragged her to the ground with a sharp yank. Naomi hit the frozen ground. Hard. Pain screamed up her side and rattled through her bones.

Lancer materialized in a flash and drove his red lance into the metal. Ice and cement cracked under the pressure that shattered the chain.

A woman dressed like a dominatrix in purples and blacks with a leather blindfold stood with her knees bent. Twin chains dangled from her fists and her lips were drawn in a thin line.

Naomi brushed the dirty snow off her jacket and shook off the throbbing pain. _“Is that a Servant?”_

It was almost stupid to ask. Even a low-class magus like herself would be able to see the magic shimmering around and through the Servant. The simmering was like sparks that crackled out of the corner of Naomi’s vision. They caught her attention but were gone before she could focus on them.

 _“No doubt. She was hiding herself until now,”_ Lancer replied as the woman’s severed chain regrew like a lizard’s tail.

The disconnected chains vanished into the air as the pure magic no longer had the fuel to remain solid.

"Not bad. Your Servant has fast reflexes." A man in his thirties and wearing a t-shirt and jeans walked out from behind a truck. "Am I right to assume he is of the Lancer class?" The brown haired, brown eyed man asked with an overly confidant smile.

"Maybe I would let you know if you hadn't tried to sneak around. You're terrible at covering your scent." Lancer pointed his weapon at the Servant.

The Master's stony brown eyes and tilted stance were what unnerved her. The man screamed danger and that was an apt description when he had to be this Servant's Master. She hadn't expected to run into one so soon. Just like the construct.

“We’re not supposed to fight in crowded areas.” She hoped the reminder would keep him from starting something that couldn’t be stopped.

They were obscured by parked cars, but if a fight broke out, no amount of cover would conceal magical explosions. There hadn’t been enough time to put up any kind of bounded field to keep everything contained.

“There’s no rule? It would snowball out of control out here.” There were only two rules enforced in the Holy Grail War. One, non-magi who saw a fight between Servants had to be terminated. Two, a Master could forfeit the Grail War at any time and seek safety within the church.

Naomi’s aunt had warned her that if there was one or more non-magi observer, it could easily turn into a massacre. Naomi would rather avoid killing people all together. It would be too messy.

“True. It would be too much work.” The man shrugged. “I’m not here to fight. Yet. I came with a proposition.”

“Oh? You know it’s not normal to strike first when you’re planning to negotiate? It’s bad form,” Lancer said. “Why do you want to have a chat now that your piss poor attempt at an ambush failed?”

Naomi caught on to what Lancer was thinking. Perhaps this man had something to do with her near- death experience before summoning Lancer.

“Did you send that construct?” She didn’t bother hiding the accusation in her tone.

The man quirked a brow and it was impossible to tell if he was lying or playing coy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

If he really didn’t send the construct to kill her then maybe he was working with someone who did. “Who sent you?”

“Don’t worry your little head missy. There’s no third party. I’m a Master in this war like you are and I like keeping a schedule. I don’t plan on letting this war drag out. I don’t want you to think I’m too stiff so let’s make a game of it and see if you can find me. Is there a time tonight that fits your time block?”

“You’re already playing games mister,” Lancer flashed an unfriendly smile. “What makes you think we’ll play along that far?”

The Master chuckled. “Because you don’t have any other choice. Either face me there or I’ll seek you out later.” His looked directly at Naomi. “Your light was on late last night. Were you preparing your summoning?”

“You’re too vague to be threatening.” She snapped. Anyone who was preparing for the Grail War could have been up late at night with the light on. His threat was so poorly thought it out it was impossible to feel threatened.

The Master shrugged. “You understood the message. I’ll be waiting whether you turn up or not.” He turned and left without looking behind him.

Silent and unreadable as stone, the female Servant disappeared in a shimmer of sparkling light.

It pissed Naomi off how the man expected her to do what he wanted. If he thought she was going to play along he could stick his Servant’s chains where the sun doesn’t shine.

Lancer glanced over his shoulder. “Do you want me to go after them? I can carve him a better attitude.”

“Wait. There are too many witnesses.”

Lancer relaxed his stance. “Too bad.”

“You can beat him up later.”

Lancer smirked.

* * *

Back home, Naomi fixed the wall and covered the broken floor as best she could and threw groceries into the fridge. Just because there was a war didn’t mean she had the luxury of not dealing with every-day life chores. She didn’t have the luxury to stock up before all this happened. As for the hole in the wall, she could bluff and say she was moving the couch and it fell, punching a hole. After doing a rough patch job on the wall, Naomi holed up in her room, digging through the back of her closet.

Lancer sat on the edge of her bed and watched her with an eager energy. “Do you plan on going?”

She tossed piled clothes off a box and dragged the cardboard into the bedroom. It wasn’t hidden from disuse but an old habit she had yet to break. She popped the top and took out an old tome. Her aunt hadn’t been happy to discover Naomi had taken the book.

_“You shouldn’t be wasting your time on this book. It’s outdated and useless.” Aunt Joan dropped the book on the ground, and she chanted a quick spell under her breath._

_Fire erupted from her palms and Naomi dived for the tome. “Stop! I want to read it!”_

_Joan stopped her with an extended foot. “Go outside and play. okay sweetie? You’ll just get bored by this book.”_

_“No! Don’t break it!” Tears streamed down Naomi’s eyes._ _“It was grandpas.” Her hands shook as she pulled chalk out of her pocket and started drawing on the ground through blurry eyes._

_“And look where it got him?” Joan didn’t look at Naomi as she let the fire fall with dripping embers onto the book._

_Naomi flattened her palm on the book and shimmering barrier that spread like luminescent cogs from the center of the binding. The fire splashed harmlessly off it and dissipated on the patio concrete. The barrier only lasted a couple seconds before vanishing, leaving the book unharmed except for a small flame at its corner. Naomi jumped at it and patting out the fire with her shirt._

_“It’s mine! I found it! Don’t break it!”_

_Joan’s voice raised, sending the hair on the back of Naomi’s neck standing on end. “You’ve been reading it and doing its magic without my supervision?”_

_Tears were still streaming down Naomi’s eyes and her nose was clogging up. “I don’t like fire. I don’t want to do it!”_

_Joan rubbed her face. “Alright sweetie. You can keep the book. But don’t use anymore of the spells inside it. If I catch sight of it again I’ll burn it.”_

Naomi rubbed the darkened spot curling the corner of the book.

“It sounds too much like a trap,” she said distractedly. “It’s probably his plan B after that construct failed to kill me.” He had to have been the one who sent it. It was the only thing that made sense. “He doesn’t strike me as someone who plays fair.”

“I’m not so sure. That Master and Servant didn’t have the same aura as that beast. You saw it too, didn’t you?”

Magic was like a fingerprint that was observable through sight or an instinctual feeling. There were supposedly more refined methods, but she wasn’t privy to them. Naomi hadn’t thought to look and wasn’t sure she would be able to recognize a connection. She hadn’t exactly been exposed to a lot of different schools of magic. 

“It was hard to tell,” Naomi admitted but was still convinced that construct was conjured by that Master. “It might be a trap, but the point of the Grail War is to fight, so why put it off.” She tried to convince herself to face the Master despite how obvious his bait had been.

“Then we should prepare for a fight.” Lancer cracked his knuckles then rested his chin in his palm. “You were limping a bit after being thrown down. Are you sure you’re fine?”

His concern made her pause. She was surprised he had noticed. Her phone buzzed, and she hurriedly pulled the slim device out of her pocket “I’ll walk it off,” Naomi said offhandedly.

The text was from her mother. She was asking how it was going. She quickly texted that she was busy with work. Her parents knew about her job but were in the dark about the Grail War.

“Say, what’s so interesting on that thing? Am I too much to look at?” Lancer sounded a bit miffed.

Naomi automatically looked at him. “No?”

Lancer crossed his arms. “Why did that sound like a question? Really, Master. You’re going to make me think you’re ashamed to have me as a Servant.”

Naomi’s chest clenched. “What? No! I’m grateful you’re here. I just have a lot on my mind.”

Naomi tossed the phone out of reach. The phone buzzed on the carpet and Naomi sighed, willing herself to ignore it.

“That’s a relief,” Lancer slid off the bed and stood with his shoulders thrown back. “But you could try to make it sound more sincere.”

She nervously opened the book, careful to keep the numerous ruled papers from spilling out from its pages. Foreign text and symbols stared up at her.

“I am,” she muttered in mortified that he didn’t think she was telling the truth. She meant it, despite how confused she felt around him.

“Sorry to throw it in your face if ya are. You’re a bit hard to read.” Lancer craned his neck. “What do you plan to do with that?”

She flipped through the pages. “I’m looking for a way to reinforce my perimeter alert. It didn’t work on that construct.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll sense them before they can get close enough to be a problem.”

Naomi swiveled sharply, glaring at him. Her abilities were fine, even if they were limited to a few spells.

“And I see I’ve hit a nerve.”

Her thumb hooked in the middle of the book, so she wouldn’t lose her place. “Are you trying to pick a fight?” She asked with a margin of annoyance.

“Nah. I’m trying to get a feel for who I’m serving.” He returned to the bed and crossed his legs.

She thought about throwing him out of the room but begrudgingly admitted he needed to know about her capabilities. Naomi set her book down and turned to him.

“You want to know about me? That’s fair. I’ll try to keep it short. I’m only the third generation able to use magic.” Her grandfather was the first person to show magic capabilities, then her aunt. Her aunt and the church had tried to teach her magic but, “Most of the magic I know is self-taught.”

“So, a fledgling mage.” Lancer deduced. “I thought you were a bit different from other mages I’ve come across.”

She puffed up and flicked the book shut with more force than necessary. “I might not be able to fling fire balls or shoot lightning. Or use holy sacrament, but my spells do the job.”

“Hmmm? what can you do with so little training?”

She was about to answer, but the words caught in her throat. Self-consciousness took hold and the steam she’d collected gushed out like a balloon losing air.

“Barriers and healing.” It wasn’t impressive to say aloud. Offensive capabilities, or more impactful crafts were more desired. Anything that wasn’t rune magic never interested her or it didn’t click. 

Lancer rested his chin in his palm. His droopy eyes were hard to discern. “Those are a bit more advanced than elemental spells.”

“Not really,” she said matter of fact. The spells had come from her grandfather’s book on rune magic, an archaic style that no one used anymore. 

Lancer dropped his hand from his chin. “I’ll let you get to it. I find stuffy old books boring.”

He unfurled from the bed and turned his back to her. His body vanished in blue orbs as he took up his spirit form. It was hard to understand, let alone express how she felt about the Grail War and Lancer. 

She rubbed her command seals then picked up her book only to realize she had shut it without saving her place. “Aww. Goddamn it.”

* * *

Lancer dropped out of a tree next to Naomi. “I don’t see that guy or his Servant. I don’t sense them either.”

Naomi scanned the vacant park. Dull streetlights illuminated her foggy breath. “You said they were broadcasting their magic here?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if other Servants showed up.”

Lancer leaned in close and leered. “You look a bit cold there, Master. Do you need some warming up?”

“No.” She said matter of fact.

“Are ya sure?” Lancer threw his arm around her shoulders and Naomi jumped out from under him.

“Back off!” Naomi shoved him away with burning cheeks, startled and unnerved by the forwardness.

He smiled stupidly which only made her more annoyed.

“I’m going to have a look around.” Naomi jabbed her finger at him when he started to follow. “Behave yourself.”

“Aye, aye.” Lancer materialized his weapon and slung it over his shoulder. “This isn’t how I envisioned our first date but I can’t say I’m complaining.”

“Very funny.” Naomi stomped off and clicked on a flashlight. Her face was still hot and she refused to look at him. She wasn’t happy that he was trying to distract her or that her body reacted to him. He was condensed magic that looked humanoid, he was not a person.

The park had paths running along both sides of a river that was carved deep into the hills. The open areas had pavilions and a playground sat near the parking lot. Naomi had only been once or twice. The serene looking location was plagued by abductions and assaults at least three times a month. It wasn’t a place she would want to visit alone.

_“Do you think he chickened out?”_

Naomi turned around to find Lancer gone.

“I don’t know if he would.” It perturbed her that there had been no time to look up the man and find out who they would be up against, but the faster they finished the war, the better.

The jogging path wound its way into a forested section where it dipped and snaked around narrower points of the river. The water was shallow enough in the area to be considered a creek. Naomi walked through the woods, trying to clear her mind of the nerves she could feel making her hands shake. It was pitch black and she was having second thoughts of combing through the trees where the streetlights couldn’t reach.

 _“If we engage them here it could be a problem,”_ Lancer told her with his thoughts. _“There isn’t much room for me to maneuver.”_

Naomi could have slapped herself for the obvious error. His weapon was long and could easily snag on the close trees. Then again, he had seemed to have no problem with fighting in the tight quarters of her apartment. Maybe there was something else he was worried about.

“Let’s get back to the pavilions.”

“ _The Servant_ is here!” Lancer materialized mid-sentence, moving seamlessly from thought to spoken word. He poised with his back arched and weapon pointed down.

Not a moment later the female Servant materialized, conveniently cutting off the path out of the woods.

Naomi froze in place. If that woman was here, then, “Where’s your Master?”

Without answering, the Servant darted into the forest over their heads.

“Nice try lady, but that smells too much like a trap.” Lancer chided the Servant and followed Naomi who was waving at him to follow her away from the woods.

He nodded with focused seriousness and followed her out. _“Making them work for their so-called game, eh?”_

 _“Can’t make it too easy for them.”_ She then had a thought. “ _Wouldn’t this Servant have a hard time fighting in the forest too? Her chains would get caught.”_

_“Hard to say. I don’t know what class she is.”_

Naomi wracked her brain for the Servant class types. Lancer, Archer, Saber, Assassin, Berserker, Rider, and Caster. The enemy couldn’t be a Lancer because there could only one of each class and whipping chains didn’t scream an Archer or Saber.

 _“Berserker, Rider, Assassin, or Caster,”_ Naomi supplied.

_“Definitely not a Berserker. Trust me.”_

_“An Assassin, Caster, or Rider then,”_ Naomi guessed. She hopped it wasn’t an Assassin. The woods provided ample cover for someone who liked to strike without warning. Maybe that was it.

When Naomi broke through the tree line an arm appeared out of the darkness and she ran into it chest first and dropped her flashlight. The wind was knocked out of her and icy fingers balled the front of her shirt into a fist. She dug her nails into a man’s pale arm.

“You aren’t very fun to play with. You were supposed to send your Servant after mine or go galloping after Rider.” Simmons yanked her toward him. The flashlight rolled, illuminating his face from underneath.

She shoved her palm into his face and the runes painted onto her arms lit up white. A micro barrier erupted, snapping into his face and forcing his head back. Simmons shoved her away and Lancer’s serrated spear carved a line in the earth between Naomi and the Master. Lancer spun his spear then pointed it at the rapidly backing up man.

“Your game is boring,” Lancer announced. “Where’s your Servant gone?”

Simmon’s eyes went wide when he realized he was staring down a Servant with nothing in between them.

The jingle of chains was the only warning before metal links slashed Lancer in the back. He stumbled forward, shocked by the blow. A second chain shot down from the trees and ensnared the enemy Master’s arm. Simmons grabbed a hold of the metal and was pulled out of sight.

Naomi turned her back to Lancer’s and held out her hand, ready to fend off another attack as her Servant recovered. Lancer swiped his weapon over her head and missed Simmons by centimeters.

She squeaked when Lancer reached behind him and wrapped his arm around her middle. He took off at breakneck speed across the park, turning her vision into a blur of gray colors.

Lancer stopped near the well-lit pavilion and Naomi wobbled and turned to face the forest as she regained a sense of equilibrium. Picnic tables and trashcans created a small maze under the pavilion, perhaps they could provide some cover if needed. 

“I wasn’t expecting that,” she coughed out. “Least we know she’s a Rider.”

She wouldn’t have guessed it was a rider in a million years. That servant was riding nothing, and what kind of rider used chains? Wouldn’t a mount get tangled in them?

“And they’re obviously not going to play fair.” Lancer stood vigilant, scanning the surrounding park. “Come on. Why don’t you face me in a real fight?” Lancer goaded loudly to the night. “Enough of this run and hide nonsense.”

The Servant answered by rushing from the shadows. Her twin chains lashed and wrapped around Lancer’s weapon.

“That’s more like it.” Lancer strained against the chains that gleamed in the artificial light.

With a swift yank, Rider pulled Lancer forward then released him. He took it as his queue to charge after her.

The Servant’s exchanged impossibly quick and brutal blows. Rider was fast and continually tried to ensnare Lancer’s ankles or arms, but he was faster. Naomi couldn’t help but admire his grace. Though not the strongest class, the Lancer was supposed to be faster than any of the other types. His attacks were blurs of shining red and blue that made looked like he had more than one weapon.

The ground erupted under them, spraying chunks of dirt where Lancer’s weapon gouged the earth in an attempt to hit Rider. Rider flipped away from Lancer’s thrusting strikes and lashed him across the cheek before landing. A line of red appeared with welling blood and Lancer grinned. 

“You managed to land a hit. I’m impressed.” He traced a rune in the air above his lance and crouched low, pointing his weapon at her. The wounds on his back were still bleeding freely. “But it’s not good enough.”

Naomi’s mouth fell agape. He created a rune out of _nothing_. She had never seen anything like it. Was he covered in etched runes? Did the status of his body being pure magic let him use runes in that way? The symbol was foreign to her so she couldn’t’ begin to guess how his mage craft worked.

Lancer’s pupils shrank and his eyes opened wide. Power surged around him and channeled into his weapon. Light exploded from his blade and wavered like a flame up the shaft of his lance. He roared as he collected power then charged forward, moving impossibly fast. It was all Rider could do to dodge his onslaught.

In that moment he looked more like a what she would guess to be a Berserker than a Lancer. His movements were sharp and graceful, but she couldn’t see the full effect. The Servants moved too quickly for her human eye to properly track. It was like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon, only it was real, and the sight was making her blood pump a mile a minute. She didn’t realize just how deadly Servants really were. She had heard that they could be as destructive as an entire army, but she hadn’t believed. It still seemed far fetched that they could have that much power, but they definitely weren’t push overs.

Her enthrallment with the Servant battle had almost cost Naomi her life. A sharp spike of rock shot from the darkness, nearly running her through. Vaulting over a picnic table, Naomi barely dodged the attack.

She looked around in a panic and spotted Simmons. “The Masters aren’t supposed to attack each other!”

Simmons laughed sourly. “It’s easier to kill a magus than a Servant, Naomi.”

She nearly missed dogging another blow. He not only knew where she lived but her name as well.

Her perplexed expression must have been clear on her face because Simmons said, “Yes I know who you are. Your records at the church were helpful.”

The fact the church had records on her wasn’t news, but how he got his hands on them was a mystery.

“There’s nothing exciting to read there,” she said defensively.

“Your records are a little lackluster, but they told me enough. Perhaps I should mar that pretty face of yours so future magus won’t recognize you as the Master.” He smirked sadistically. “It might give you a slight advantage.”

His threat was tone deaf and only made her cringe at how stupid he sounded.

Simmons chanted under his breath and the ground under him started to cave in and crack.

Naomi was already out of breath and her legs ached as she weaved around the tables to avoid the bursting ground. She couldn’t get close enough to hit him with barriers.

Simmons laughed. “Where are you running to?”

The pavilion creaked. Too late, Naomi realized that Simmons had never been aiming at her. His tampering with the foundation and earth underneath had caused the pavilions support to crack and weaken. The metal supports buckled around the softened mid sections and began to fall. It crashed down with a groan of metal and crumbling of concrete.

* * *

“Master!” Lancer called out as he heaved rubble to the side. “Can you hear me?”

A cough and muffled answer made him still.

“Over here.”

Lancer flung aside concrete like it weighted nothing. Naomi’s strength was failing, and he wouldn’t be able to dig her out before her shield fell. Pouring prana into her runes, the barrier expanded outward like a balloon, shoving the debris all around her out and away. Concrete flew across the grass and landed with heavy thuds in the dirt.

Lancer easily avoided the flying debris. “Seems those barriers do come in handy.”

Naomi hacked against the smoke and dust and could only wave at him.

Lancer crooked smile.

“I’ll try not to die for your benefit.” Naomi coughed again and wiped flecks of tears from her eyes.

“That’s not what I meant. Ah...” He rubbed the back of his head.

Naomi glanced around. There was no one in sight. “Where did they go?”

“Gone, wherever they went. Rider snagged her Master and ran off with him just before the building collapsed.”

“You didn’t go after them?” Naomi asked with surprise.

Lancer shrugged. “I thought about it, but I’d be a failure of a Servant if you kicked the bucket before me.”

Naomi couldn’t stop the small smile that stretched her face. “You’re right. Thanks for not abandoning me.”

He rubbed the back of his head at the praise. “You didn’t seriously think I would up and leave ya for dead did ya?”

“Well…,” it wouldn’t have surprised her. “Turn around for a minute. You’re bleeding.”

His voice was sharp and loud. “What? I pledged you my spear. Fine. I’ll prove it to you.” He presented his back to her and placed his hands on his hips. “I can fend off a whole army or gods if that’s what you want.”

Two angry red gashes gaped at her. Red crystals were forming around the edges. Naomi had to guess they were magic related. Maybe it sped up the healing process, or that just how ‘injured’ magic looked. She didn’t know a huge amount about how Servants worked.

Naomi silently huffed at his overconfidence. “If you can help me not die, that will be enough.”

She put her hands around the wound, trying not to put too much pressure. His skin was hot and too lifelike for a being composed of raw mana. It was almost off putting.

“That’s a given. Come on, Master. Give me something more challenging.” he said while looking over his shoulder. His eyes were piercing and dancing with eagerness.

Naomi swallowed hard. “How about you show me what you did to your spear. That rune you drew.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

She was starting to realize that her mind had been too wrapped up in the wrong things. She needed to focus more on this Servant if they were going to survive the Grail War and fulfill the mission. It was paramount that she learned how he fought and operated.

Her healing runes glowed green and began closing the gashes. They weren’t too deep but looked painful.

“What kind of food do you like?” Food was usually a good ice breaker, if Servants ate anything, or could remember anything about eating in their false memories.

Lancer’s mouth fell open then then he gripped his forehead and burst out laughing. 

“What?” Her face went red and she was afraid she had said something wrong.

His expression turned apologetic though he was still grinning. “I like anything with meat in it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should have been broken up into two or three chapters, but...it wasn't. Enjoy!

The TV flickered as Naomi mindlessly turned a crochet bear over in her fingers and a blanket was draped over her legs.

“Are you sure it’s wise to not rest after tonight?” Lancer appeared from spirit form, already leaning over the back of the couch near her head. “You haven’t eaten anything, either.”

Naomi set the figurine sized bear on the coffee table. “I need to go to the church first thing in the morning to figure out why my files were accessible. There’s no point in going to sleep when it’s so late.” The wall clock ticked just after two in the morning. The truth was she was too wound up to sleep despite how drained she felt.

She threw the blanket back and head into the kitchen. “I guess I should eat.”

Frozen tamales clinked on the counter and ice shavings fell on the plate.

Lancer looked curiously over the bar at the bag she tossed back into the freezer. “What the heck is that? It doesn’t look appetizing at all.”

“Tamales. It tastes better than it looks.” If she doused it in hot sauce. “Are you hungry?” she asked out of courtesy.

“I don’t have to eat. Your mana is all I need to sustain my body. I’m starting to adjust to it so it’s flowing a little better… but I could eat if I wanted to. It does help my strength a bit.”

“Do you want something?”

He propped his hip up on the bar stool and scrunched his face. “No offense, but not if it’s that frozen rock.”

She crossed her arms and leaned forward. “I can cook something. What do you want?” If he thought she was useless in this department he was sorely mistaken.

“Oh? Am I going to get treated?” He grinned while squaring his shoulders. “In that case, I’ll take anything with meat.”

“I have stuff for chicken and sausage gumbo. It’ll take about an hour.”

Lancer looked up and to the left as if trying to recall something. He found whatever he was trying to remember, and his eyes brightened. “Sounds interesting. I want to try it!”

Naomi started taking the ingredients out of the fridge. “You know what it is?” He didn’t look like he would have eaten Cajun recipes in his time.

He leaned his elbow on the counter and Naomi couldn’t help her eyes lingering the way his well-defined muscles moved under his tight battle clothing. “The Grail gives me a lot of information so I can easily navigate the current time. Remember?”

“Sorry,” she bit sarcastically while cutting up celery. “I didn’t know it would include mundane stuff like food.”

Lancer noticed he had stepped on her toes and slid out of the chair. “Do you need any help? I know the gist of how the recipe is supposed to go.”

Naomi was about to say no, but she stopped herself. If she was going to try and work with this Servant she should probably take his advice and accept his help. “You could start boiling water for the rice. The pots are under the counter.”

Lancer lit up and jumped behind the counter. He noisily freed a pot and started prepping it for the rice. He took out a second one for the main meal and opened the fridge to take out the meat. Naomi turned to put the veggies in the large pot and bumped her back against Lancer’s. The kitchen was too small for two people.

“Sorry.” The word came out automatically.

“No problem.” Lancer said chipperly.

She grabbed the meat he had laid out and started cutting it into chunks.

“You’re bleeding there.” Lancer said after glancing at what she was doing.

Naomi followed his line of sight and saw she had nicked her thumb with the knife. Blood was flowing freely in a steady stream. “Oops,” she said calmly and started to feel the spot throb now that she was aware of the injury. Whatever, she could heal it after she was done.

“Whatda do you mean oops? You aren’t holding the knife properly. That’s why you cut yourself.” He took it upon himself to grab her hand and change it to a proper cutting position. Her fingers resisted and she tensed. There was no reason for him to invade her personal space so aggressively.

“Relax, this is how you hold it so you don’t slice yourself open.”

“Thanks, but couldn’t you just show me next time?” She struggled to hold back biting sarcasm.

“I just did, didn’t I?”

“I-nevermind.” She didn’t have the energy to reprimand him. He could have shown her how to hold the knife by doing a demonstration himself instead of jumping straight to manhandling.

She threw a rogue piece of chopped celery that had been left on the counter at his chest. He reflexively caught it, to her disappointment. “The water’s starting to boil. Time to add the rice. Turn it down and let it simmer.”

Lancer popped the celery into his mouth. “Your aim isn’t half bad.”

Naomi kicked Lancer out of the kitchen when there was nothing left to do but watch the bubbling pot and stir it occasionally.

“What do you plan to do at the church?” Lancer asked from the couch. “Going to pray for the Grail?”

She scoffed. “I’m not the type.” Naomi stood over the food. The heat from the pot rolled soothingly over her bare arms and face. “The church is a front for the Mage Association. They’re more like an office extension. I need to figure out why my private records are being accessed by strangers.”

The Church was a farce for non-mages. Their true purpose was to police mages. She wasn’t sure how religion became mixed up in all of it, but it had been apart of the Mage Association for over a thousand years. The Church’s status made it easy to mingle with and keep tabs on mages and non-mages alike.

“Sounds like a pain.” Lancer stated.

Naomi kept stirring the contents, her back to Lancer. It was getting harder to keep her eyes open as her body wound down. The strong smell of spices helped keep her awake, but she closed her eyes while slowly stirring. Just wanting to rest them for a moment.

“Master.” Lancer’s voice felt like a sledgehammer on her brain and made her jerk her head up. “I can finish the rest. Why don’t you take a break?”

Naomi checked the clock. “It just needs five more minutes.”

She started taking out bowls, spoons, and hot sauce.

“I can do that.” Lancer took over and set the table with eagerness.

“What do you want to drink?” She asked in between him returning and leaving to put things on the table.

“You got any alcohol?” Lancer seated himself at the table.

“Maybe.” Naomi opened the fridge to check. She didn’t drink often so there was a mostly intact pack of beers shoved in the back.

“This is all I have.” She stuck a can to his cheek from behind and snickered when he jumped at the sensation of icy condensation.

Lancer snatched it with a toothy grin and Naomi used the distraction to take his bowl and flit back into the kitchen before he could think to retaliate. She loaded his bowl up with rice then made sure to add a lot of meat. He looked like the kind of guy who could eat a lot, and she was right. Lancer devoured his meal and topped it off by chugging the beer can. He yanked it away from his mouth a loud with a satisfied sigh.

“Liked it?” she asked while picking at her meal. A small smile adorned her lips. It was the first time she had cooked for someone else and it felt nice.

“I fought a strong opponent, ate a homemade meal from a pretty Master, and this beer isn’t half bad. What’s not to like?” Lancer did seem like he was enjoying himself. “This is a major step up from the last Grail War.”

Naomi felt her face and ears burn, but that quickly evaporated with interesting bit at the end. “You were in another Grail War?”

He nodded. “My proper Master was killed, and my seals were stolen by a slimy priest. That guy was always shady. I didn’t know how far he would go until he tricked me three times over.” Lancer was still relaxed but Naomi could see the way his lips twitched downward. “I don’t feel like I really experienced it, though. It’s more like a dream. A really crappy one.”

“Sounds like a bad person to work with.”

Lancer flashed his teeth and his eyes sparkled. “He definitely wouldn’t have cooked me a meal or shared his alcohol. You don’t back down from a fight, either. I like ya already.”

His sincerity made her turn red all over again. She felt a strange but pleasant sensation in her chest. It was strange to do something for a person and have it feel this good.

Naomi stood up to take his bowl and empty can. “Glad I’m an improvement,” she said with sincerity.

Lancer started washing out the dishes while Naomi put up the leftovers.

She took the dried dishes and put them up while wondering why Lancer wasn’t just throwing them into the dishwasher. He looked content, so she didn’t bother him about it.

Her eyes were itching by the time they were done, and she was feeling a bit lightheaded. “I think I’ll sleep before going to the church after all. I’d probably have a wreck if I drive right now.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll keep watch. Thanks for the meal, Master. You know how to cook.”

“Sure,” she said with a small smile and an anxious feeling bubbling up in her chest.

* * *

It was past noon when she drove up to the unassuming church. She slammed the car door and approached the courtyard gate.

 _“There’s a spell preventing me from entering.”_ Lancer materialized next to her.

“Probably because it’s the headquarters for the Grail War.” Fights were forbidden at the sanctuary so it made sense that they would put up a ward. “Wait out here. This shouldn’t take long.”

“Sure, sure.”

Pushing her way through the large wooden doors of the church, she came face to face with a familiar priest dressed in black. Deep wrinkles overlapped his skin, bellying his age that was slipping into eighty. He was standing in the entrance as if expecting her. He probably was, they always had a way of knowing when someone was entering the premises. 

“I heard from the overseer that you summoned a Servant.” Roland was anything but pleased. “How did you come by a catalyst?”

Naomi leveled the priest with apathy. She had known this old man since her early childhood. He was the one who told her she wasn’t qualified for the Mage Association and had suspiciously shown up after her aunt had mysteriously disappeared. He had dragged her into the church and interrogated her about her aunt’s magecraft and asked if she had been doing anything suspicious. Of course, he didn’t get much out of her as a confused child.

“None of your business. I’m here to find out why a maniac was able to read my records.”

Roland was unblinking. “The records of Holy Grail contestants are accessible to all during the war. You can look at your opponent’s files if you wish. Do you know your wish for it?”

It infuriated her how quickly he deducted the reason for her visit.

“Maybe.”

“You know, if you’re feeling charitable-”

“I’m not in a good mood. Show me the records and I’ll be on my way.” The church always made her feel tense. She had never visited on pleasant terms. 

Roland ushered her inside of the small church lined with musty smelling pews and directed her to a back room.

“What class is your Servant?” He inquired wile pulling out a folder. “For record purposes.”

“A secret.” Anyone who got into a fight with Lancer would immediately pinpoint his class, but she didn’t care to make it easier on the old priest.

Dull lamps flickered on tables and a fireplace blazed against the wall. The stone walls were chilled and rows upon rows of shelves held files of magi from across the world. It looked like something right out of medieval times though this was a church in America. They really needed to renovate and get some computers to store their data on.

Roland directed to a desk and presented a stack of files. Five contestants. Including her. Strange considering there should be seven Masters.

“You cannot take them out of the church or make copies. I will be checking your person before you leave.” He turned to leave but paused. “Have you seen Joan recently?”

He hadn’t asked about her aunt in a long time and she was thrown off for a moment. It was suspicious and put her on edge that he was asking after her relative at the start of this war.

Her lie came easily. “No. Why would I?”

“It was just a thought. Very well. Take your time.” He left her to her own devices.

Roland had asked her from time to time if Joan had popped her head up, and constantly reminded Naomi to come to him if Joan talked to her. Maybe she was feeling paranoid because Joan was actually around this time. Naomi wouldn’t rat her out again. She felt bad enough from the first time.

Naomi leafed through the pages, glancing at the photos stapled to each pack. On the front of one was Simmon’s in a professional picture like one that would be in a yearbook. He was an unassuming man and his profile pegged him as a banker with no notable past. His family line was fairly old, but not in the upper echelons of mage society, according to the file.

She skimmed the pages, looking for information on his Servant. The church’s way of keeping records was too cumbersome and ancient for her tastes. This would go faster on a computer with a search function.

There was very little information she didn’t already know. The Servant’s class, Rider, was printed plain as day. The Rider class could drive any beast or machine. Yet Rider hadn’t used any sort of mount. The catalyst used to summon the Servant was a mirror, but that didn’t give her any hints to the Servant’s identity.

Naomi picked her personal file out of the bunch. It had her address, minimal information on her family, specifically mentioned her ties to Joan, and her status as an untrained mage. There was no information about her being a Master or a mention of a Servant. Naomi threw the file into the fireplace. It would be nice if it was the only copy in existence but there were probably more. The priest could be pissed at her for destroying ‘church property’ but he could get over himself.

Not wanting to spend all day in the musty church, she took out her phone and snapped photos of every packet. Joan’s file was one of the two missing which meant they didn’t know she was in the war as well. Naomi realized she had missed a call from the very same person. She sent all the pictures she had taken and waited.

Typing bubbles appeared on the bottom of the screen.

_You should have contacted me the moment you summoned your Servant. – Joan_

_I got caught up. I had a run in with Rider and their Master. – Naomi_

_Did you fight them? Did your servant take any damage? – Joan_

_I fought them a little bit. No damage was done to either Servant. – Naomi_

_Don’t engage them again. Understand? Find out where they’re holed up and report to me if anything changes. – Joan_

_Okay. – Naomi_

_Love you, sweetie. – Joan_

Naomi took a deep breath and left the papers where she found them. Her phone buzzed.

 _You didn’t say, “Understood”. Is something wrong?_ _– Joan_

_I’m busy – Naomi_

_Do you need me to call? – Joan_

Now Naomi was getting annoyed, and as she was in the middle of replying, Joan started calling. Naomi ignored it with a huff and stuffed the phone in her pocket. It rang several times and vibrated from text messages. Her shoulders went more and more stiff, but she willed herself to ignore Joan.

Roland checked Naomi’s pockets before letting her go.

At the gate, Lancer materialized. “You’re pretty wound up. What happened in there?”

Naomi’s lips flattened into a line. “Their record keeping abilities are awful and that stupid priest was asked if I would get the Grail for the church.”

Lancer closed one eye and grinned as if he had heard a funny joke. “That’s quite presumptions of them.”

“At least I’m not so dense that I wouldn’t confiscate someone’s phone.” She rummaged in her pocket. “I smuggled out information on the other Masters, but they didn’t have files on everyone.” She bristled at the missed calls and messages from Joan and deleted them form the home screen. She turned her phone around so Lancer could see the photos. “Here’s the ones we fought last night.”

Lancer leaned forward with his hands on his hips. “Not a whole lot to go on unless you want to raid their house.”

“What I don’t understand is why they’re willing to divulge everything about the Masters, but nothing about the Servants.”

“Servants are a Master’s trump card. This war would go by a lot faster if everyone knew each other’s weak points,” Lancer said matter of fact. “Don’t tell me you don’t know the basics.”

“I had a crash course.” She was no war strategist and was under no illusion that she knew everything about the Grail Wars. “I know enough...I need to do some research. Let’s go home.”

* * *

“Something’s on your mind.” Lancer materialized as sitting on Naomi’s bed.

She had just finished uploading the pictures she had taken at the church to the computer for safe keeping. Lancer pick up a glass orb that was on her nightstand. He inspected the swirling colors floating inside.

“Get your foot off the bed or take your shoes off.” Naomi scolded.

Lancer dropped his leg to dangle over the bed.

“There’s no proper way to research these Servants even if we know their true name. There are too many myths and legends surrounding them. The only thing I can pull up about mirrors tied to myths is Narcissus or Perseus fighting Gorgon. Neither of them used an actual mirror. The rest of the stories are just dumb superstitions not connected to myths.”

Lancer threw his leg over his thigh. “You said yourself it was a catalyst. It could have just been an object they were attached to in life. Our legends are what give us power and shape our abilities. There are different iterations depending on historical interpretations. Those interpretations can manifest differently depending on our class. The Master also influences our abilities and personality.”

Naomi leaned back in the chair; her interests piqued. She wasn’t aware a master could alter their Servant, or that there were different versions of the same Servant. “Has anything changed for you?”

“Everything but my lance and a few runes have been sealed away. I don’t mind. It’s all I need to take down an opponent. The added strength from being a Servant is a plus.”

“Is anything about your legend off from what really happened? What have I changed about your personality?”

Lancer shrugged. “Calm down with the questions. I don’t know what people think about me these days. I only have my memories. As for what you have changed by being my Master…Hmmm…I don’t know right now. It should become apparent with the more battles we fight.”

Naomi absentmindedly fingered the dangling earring attached to her earlobe then remembered it wasn’t hers. She had retrieved it from under the couch and was surprised Lancer hadn’t said anything about her wearing it. “I keep forgetting to give this back.”

Lancer waved away. “Nah, keep it. It suits you. It wouldn’t disappear with me in spirit form, anyway. It’s too solid.”

“Then I’ll keep wearing it so it doesn’t get lost. If that’s okay.” Naomi re-clasped the earring that should have been in a museum. “You said the catalysts were objects important to a Servant. What were these Earrings from? Are you sure you don’t want it?”

“They were less an object of importance and more of an accessory of habit. Hang onto it. One copy is enough.” He flicked his earring and gave a cheeky grin. “You should be grateful. It has some powerful magic protection.”

Naomi cracked a smile, feeling better about having the earring with his permission.

“I’ll take good care of it,” she promised. “But, the summoning was a little weird. I didn’t recite the incantation or have both parts of the catalysts in the summoning circle.”

“Maybe it has to do with feeling like this isn’t the first time we’ve met.” He strained to make it sound like a joke but there was something flickering in his eyes, like he was chasing a memory that remained just out of reach. “Ah, well. It doesn’t matter. It worked, didn’t it?”

She didn’t feel anything familiar about him, but she was grateful he answered her summons. “Thank you for coming.”

Lancer scratched his nose. “Don’t get all sappy on me. There’s nothing to thank me for. I came for some good fights. That’s it.”

Naomi swiveled back to her desk and the laid open tome. She needed to figure out how to make a barrier around the apartment, or some kind of alarm system. It would take her a while to decipher the text. Her dead language skills were rusty.

Lancer stood and picked up a round clay box the size of his palm. He inspected the paint and fine inlaid hairs. The rings stored inside it clanked together.

She was starting to get annoyed. “Is there a reason you’re picking at everything?”

Honestly, it was like he couldn’t sit still for two seconds.

“You have a lot of interesting trinkets but none of them are bound with magic.”

It was admittedly a little strange for someone who called themselves a magus to be lacking in magically imbued items.

“My family isn’t an old lineage. I haven’t officially trained. That’s plain old horsehair pottery from New Mexico.” She was a fifth-generation mage. A blip on the radar compared to other families that had been around for over a thousand years.

Lancer set the pot back down on her dresser.

Naomi glanced at her book and let out a suffering sigh. “You said you used Rune magic. Do you know anything about barriers?” The runes he’d used in his fight against Rider had been foreign, but he was clearly versed in some kind of magecraft.

Lancer glanced over her shoulder at the tome. “Nah. Those are completely different.”

Naomi thought it would have been too good to be true. “Damn.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You strike me as a smart lass.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she bit sarcastically.

“You’ll do fine.”

“Can you be on lookout while I go over this? It might take a while before I can try anything.” Naomi hated to be rude but she wanted Lancer out of the room so she could concentrate.

“If you make suggestions rather than commands I might not know what to do.” He smirked slyly.

She raised her voice. “Go on the roof and let me know if any Servants or Masters come sniffing around.”

It should be safe during the daytime but that was beside the point.

He gave a satisfied smile. “Aye, aye.” His voice grew to an echo as his body vanished into blue orbs of lights.

With pen and paper, Naomi started going through her old notes to try and jolt her memory.

-

It was hours later when the sun started going down. Naomi rubbed her strained eyes and decided she had spent enough time trying to review the chapter on barriers. She wanted to try putting a spell into practice before going to bed.

Taking a paper out of the pile she had accumulated, Naomi brought it out into the living room. She crouched down to place the page on the floor. A circular rune was drawn on the paper. Lines were traced around the inside of the circle, creating the needed pattern. She placed her hands around the edges of the paper and closed her eyes. Naomi read the words she had written around the symbol in her head. Trying to make them sound loud and clear. The name was unnecessary, but it helped her concentrate. The goal was to create a barrier that encased the entire complex.

Focusing on the contours of the apartment building she was familiar with, Naomi gathered what magic she could access. Her circuits lit up with a stream of warmth like flowing water and it boiled through her circuits. Magic rose and expanded, creating an invisible dome around the apartment that would stall or block Servants and alert her to anyone with marginally strong magic.

The translucent dome that would be invisible to non-mages connected at its pinnacle, closing off the area. Naomi opened her eyes. Sweat beaded her forehead and her breath came in labored gasps.

Lancer whistled. “Not bad. It might last a week if you’re lucky.”

She hadn’t notice him materialize in the room.

Naomi leaned into the back of the couch. She’d never tried magic on such a scale and it felt like it nearly killed her in the process. Every magic circuit along her veins was on fire.

“It’s not a very strong barrier. It’s paper thin.” She seriously doubted it would last a week. Maybe a few days. She had never made anything to last before. The barrier she had created to protect from the collapsing pavilion had been the longest she had held a spell and it was nearly used up by the time Lancer dug her out.

“It’s an impressive start for a magus who claims to be terrible at magic. If you had a teacher you might be a force to reckon with.”

“Hey. I didn’t say I was bad,” she snapped. “Why? Are you offering now?”

Lancer picked up the paper with the barrier symbol on it. It was more complex than the ones she drew on her arms.

“There are better teachers than me.”

She lifted a knee and tucked her arm between her leg and stomach. “I don’t think I’ll find another one. I can barely read the language in the books. It would take decades to teach myself.”

Naomi could ask her aunt to teach her again, but Naomi always seemed to get further when teaching herself.

“I’m surprised you would let a little thing like that stop you. You make it sound like you had one. Why don’t you find your old teacher?”

Naomi unconsciously picked at the inside of her arm where a pink scar resided. “I’d rather swallow a bottle of thumbtacks.”

* * *

Almost two weeks went by where Naomi saw hide nor hair of Rider or her Master. She passed much of the time translating her grandfather’s book much like a cram week before finals. Lancer spent most of the time lounging around, seeming content to wait until something more interesting popped up.

Any time Naomi walked into the room she immediately became that interesting thing. Lancer would practically breathe down her neck with inquiries under his poor concept of personal space.

One of the times she was cleaning, Lancer was standing behind her, asking what would be for dinner. He was so close he was almost caging her. Naomi turned around and stuck the duster in his face. He snorted as the feathers went up his nose. His resulting expression melted her annoyance and she couldn’t help but laughing his bewildered, scrunched up face.

He’d smiled stupidly then she’d given him the duster while she went to make food.

They developed a routine and Lancer turned out to be a decent roommate. If she asked him to do something, it would get done with little fuss. He seemed to enjoy helping out where he could. Especially if food or drinks were mentioned.

During an afternoon, Naomi leafed to a scrawling circular rune that took up much of the page. “Jeez. This looks way too complex. What is this even for? Starting a tornado?”

She had chugged through a third of the book and wasn’t sure she had translated all of it correctly.

“Ath nGabla,” Lancer read.

“Bless you.”

Lancer leaned over her, putting a hand on her shoulder. It took all of her power not to jump at the contact. He had been avoiding the book’s contents but every now and then he couldn’t help poking his head in when she’d spent too much time in her room.

“It’s a spell for a death matche. It gives opponent’s no choice but to compulsively obey a fight to the death with one another.”

“I thought only Command Seals could force someone to obey?”

“Command seals are not all that different from runes so it’s not as strange as you might think.”

“I see.” Naomi wrote down the page number.

She paused. “Wait. You can read this?”

Lancer rubbed the back of his head. “Well, the Grail gives Servants the ability to read and speak most languages. You didn’t think I knew English in my lifetime, did you?”

“Lancer!” Naomi stood abruptly from her desk. She had half a mind to bludgeon him. “You could read this thing the whole time and you didn’t think to help? Ugh!” She could have gotten so much further if she hadn’t been stuck translating it herself.

He waved his hand between him and the looming textbook. “You looked like you were doing a fine job. You don’t need my translation skills.”

“You just didn’t want to study. Lazy ass…” Naomi dropped the book on the desk with a loud thud and pressed the heel of her palm to her temple. Her eyes squeezed tight to quell the throbbing. “I’m hungry. I’m going to make lunch.” She was too angry and had been studying too long to concentrate.

“Don’t be mad. Here I’ll make it up to ya.” He started following her out of the room but stopped, his face hardening.

“Wait,” Lancer said sharply. His posture going stiff.

“What is it?” She asked grumpily.

“I feel a Servant’s mana.”

Naomi’s heart rate picked up. “Rider?”

“I can’t tell until I see for myself. It doesn’t quite smell like her.”

“Go find out. I’ll be right there.”

Lancer nodded and vanished into spirit form.

Naomi hurriedly put on her shoes and dashed down the apartment stairs.

The complex appeared innocuous. She could sense her barrier. If she closed her eyes she could imagine each point of it. The parking lot was still. Cars were parked in front of the three story apartment units, but what was strange was the lack of feral cats. Almost every time she stepped outside one would dart out from behind the dumpster.

Lancer was nowhere in sight so Naomi closed her eyes and called to him. _“Do you see anything?”_

Her servant materialized next to her. “I couldn’t find anyone suspicious. It’s almost as if they’ve vanished.”

Naomi closed her eyes again and tried to feel the barrier to see if anything was crossing through its outskirts. Nothing.

“Maybe they left.” She opened her eyes.

“You didn’t sense them crossing the barrier?”

“No. Before you noticed them up until now, I haven’t felt anything. That’s weird.” Maybe she had gotten the spell wrong or messed it up when she tried to re-strengthen it.

“If you can’t find anything then there’s nothing to chase. I’m going back inside.”

* * *

An hour later her phone rang.

“Hello?” Naomi asked and immediately regretted not checking the caller ID.

A confidant female voice glided out of the device. “Sweetie. I haven’t heard from you in a while, so I wanted to give you a call.”

Naomi’s pupils shrank to pinpoints. “There hasn’t been anything to report.”

“Who is that?” Lancer came up next to her in the kitchen.

Naomi tightened her grip on the phone and gave him a ‘one minute’ gesture.

“Is that your Servant? I trust you’re happy with who I picked out. He’s supposed to have the worst luck in the universe. Almost like he’s cursed.” The voice lifted in amusement. “I thought it was...poetic.”

Naomi didn’t wasn’t sure what Joan was going on about and knew better than to ask.

“Come find me at the church at eight. I want to talk in person. It’s been too long and I want to see your face. Understood, sweetie?”

Naomi tensed up. It was shy of a week since they last met. “Understood.”

The phone went silent.

Naomi’s hands shook as she put the phone away and she tightly gripped it in her pocket. Though she worked for her aunt, she avoided seeing her and talking directly on the phone at all costs. She felt guilty for ratting her out as a child all those years ago, but their conversations always left her unsteady.

“So?” Lancer asked.

Naomi nodded sharply. “My aunt wants to meet at the church.”

He grinned. “Is there going to be a fight?”

“I doubt it.” At least, not a physical one.

She went into her room to get ready since eight o’clock wasn’t that far away. Lancer stood at the ready in the living room, watching her every move like an excited dog expecting a walk.

Naomi grabbed her keys then leaned against the kitchen counter like it was a mental support. “Before we go I should tell you a little more about my aunt, Joan.”

Lancer leaned back with a groan. “Is this a long story?”

Naomi shook her head. “I’ll keep it short. I probably should have told you this earlier. I’m working for her in the Grail War. She’s also a Master and I’m…’insurance’ to make sure she gets the Grail.” She recited Joan’s term.

Lancer flashed his teeth and his eyes became sharp. “I hope that doesn’t mean you plan to throw the Grail War. If you do, we might have a problem in this partnership.”

A bark of laughter from her confused Lancer. It was too amusing that he thought she would throw the war.

“I don’t really care about the Grail. But I don’t plan on losing. Even to my aunt. I’m going to win and prove I’m not a throwaway. I’m tired of letting others decide what I am and what I’m not. I want to see the look on the Mage Associations face when I tell them I won the Grail War.” She would play along with her Aunt just enough to be in this war, then they would have to eventually fight, unless another Master got to Joan first.

Naomi didn’t believe in an almighty wish making object, and what she wanted couldn’t be wished for. If she was going to show the Mage Association and her aunt that she wasn’t good enough to be a mage, she would have to win that honor on her own. Of course, she would have to do it with a Servant’s help. Winning a Grail War came with its own kind of respect and was the loudest way to stick her middle finger to everyone who ever told her she wasn’t good enough.

Lancer clapped a heavy hand on her shoulder, nearly toppled Naomi under his weight. “I knew I had a good feeling about ya.”

* * *

The street lights were on when they made it to the church. Naomi stepped cautiously out of the car and looked about the parking lot that contained one other car. Naomi zipped up her jacket and breathed fog over her scarf.

Joan in the courtyard, sporting a confidant smile.

“Hi sweetie.” Joan cooed. The woman was tall with long brown hair and wore a name brand blouse with slacks. “Why are you so nervous? The church is neutral ground. Servants can’t cross this threshold. Come over here and give me a hug.”

Naomi crossed a lump in her throat and crossed the threshold. There was something about how well put together her aunt always looked that made Naomi feel leagues beneath her as when she was a kid.

 _“That’s your boss, huh?”_ Lancer asked in her mind. He was out of sight in spirit.

Her chest flipped over itself with irregular an palpation as she stepped over the barrier’s line. _“Yeah. That’s my aunt. Joan.”_

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to see you. I didn’t get to see you for what? Eight, ten years until a couple months ago? You should call more and not just for business. I’m always wondering how you’re getting along.”

Naomi remained silent out of a guarded nervousness.

“I’m surprised the church hasn’t tried to off you since you’re now a Master. They hate magi. Why are you staying so far away? Come closer.”

That wasn’t right. The church and the Mage Association were the same. “What are talking about?”

Joan shifted her weight and clicked her tongue. “Sweetie. I raised you to be smarter.”

It felt like cold invisible fingers squeezed Naomi’s heart. The shift in tone was slight, nearly unnoticeable, but it put Naomi on high alert.

“The church hates mages so the fewer in existence, the better in their self-righteous book. You and I are abominations. Remember?”

 _“That’s blowing it a bit out of proportion, don’t you think?”_ Lancers voice echoed through the night air.

Joan looked around with a scowl. “I know you’re the Servant Cú Chulainn. Why don’t you show yourself? I’m the reason you’re here to begin with.”

Lancer materialized behind Naomi and spun Gae Bolg one handed. He settled it casually over his shoulder.

“You’ve got nothing on me, lady. You have an awfully big chip on your shoulder. Did that fancy pants Mage Association let you down on a bad night?”

Joan’s hands fell from her hips and her lips curled. “You shouldn’t talk like you know anything. You’re a temporary construct.”

Naomi took a step forward over the courtyard’s threshold. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

In a swift movement, Joan hooked Naomi with her arms and threw her to the ground. Naomi saw white and all the breath left her lungs.

“Hey!” Lancer momentarily forgot about the barrier and rammed into the invisible surface. He hastily drew a rune in the air and it fizzled harmlessly against the barrier. “What are you doing?” He snapped at Joan.

The cold ground seeped through Naomi’s clothes as Joan leaned down next to and gathered up Naomi's hair into her fist. Naomi head spun. Joan had attacked her with no provocation. This wasn’t like her.

Joan pulled Naomi’s head back and it felt like her scalp was being ripped up.

“Don’t talk back to me. Servants aren’t real people. They’re just a collection of magic made to resemble myths and legends. They’re delusional and not in their right minds.”

Naomi choked out and clawed at Joan. “Let go!” She thrust her palm to push out a spinning micro-barrier the size of a dessert plate.

Joan slapped Naomi’s head into the ground with an audible thud. Naomi saw stars and her vision momentarily went black.

“Wrong. Servants are no better than robots. You give them commands and they complete them. It doesn’t go more in depth than that,” Joan said coldly.

Lancer aimed Gae Bolg and thrusted it one armed at the barrier. The cursed lance hit it in a brilliant light show of spitting sparks that flew past his cheeks. The barrier held steady. “Damn it! Master!” His eyes flashed, and veins appeared around them. “Get up! Don’t tell me you were all talk before!”

Naomi squeezed her eyes shut to will away the pain and braced against the concrete. A feeling of panic, anger, and a smidge of fear that wasn’t hers squeezed her chest with suffocating force. It didn’t make any sense, but it seeped into her and propelled her to stand.

Joan stepped back. “Stand up. If we’re to win this war you can’t be weak. What if I had been a Servant or another magus? You would be dead. Never let your guard down.”

Naomi managed to get on her feet while holding her stinging face and throbbing head. Her back hurt like hell and she was feeling the earlier bruise from when Rider made her hit the ice. Joan was starting to sound more normal, but still didn’t make any sense.

“That’s it!” Lancer encouraged. “Get up and get out of there!”

There had to be a reason Joan was lashing out. “Why are you attacking me?”

“I don’t have time to get it through your thick skull that you’re not strong enough to face other Masters and Servants. You already disobeyed once.” Fire collected in Joan’s palm and Naomi’s throat squeezed tight. “If you can’t defend yourself you can’t win this war without my help.”

“I can defend myself just fine.” Naomi summoned a barrier to deflect a slung fire ball. “How do you expect me to be in a war, with a Servant, and not end up in a fight?”

“You’re still using those things? Use your body and offensive spells.” Joan slung a fire ball at the shield and it splashed against the barrier and lit up the courtyard. “I told you. You wait for me to take down the opponent. All you have to do is keep them preoccupied.” 

“That’s not realistic,” Naomi bit back.

“It wouldn’t matter.” Lancer bit out. “I’ll be damned, even with a Command Seal, that I’ll be held back ever again,” Lancer said defiantly. 

Joan pinned him with a glare. “A Servant’s first job is to protect their Master. Which means waiting for my instruction. Remember that.”

“I have no reason to listen to anything you have to say.” The anger in Lancer’s voice rolled off him like fire.

Joan slung the fire ball she held, and Naomi quickly set up a barrier. The flames splashed against the surface in a blinding billow of flames.

“Your left!” Lancer shouted.

Joan had rounded the flat barrier and was coming at Naomi, fists swinging. Naomi backed up and dodged the punch. The world swayed and sputtered with static. She stumbled and clutched her head. Instead of following through with the punch, Joan grabbed Naomi by the collar of her shirt and kneed her in the stomach. The air left Naomi’s lungs and she doubled over, incapacitated by pain. Joan shoved Naomi the rest of the way down and stomped on her back. Naomi couldn’t help crying out as Joan’s heel dug into the soft part of her back.

“That’s enough!” Lancer snarled and kicked the barrier. “This isn’t a fight!”

Naomi elbowed Joan’s shin with as much force as she could muster. Joan flinched but didn’t remove her foot until a couple seconds after. “You don’t have the physical strength to back up your lack of useful magic. Look how scrawny you are.”

Joan kicked Naomi in the ribs. Naomi grunted as air gushed out of her and she grabbed Joan’s ankles. She tried burst another barrier up at her face, but Joan kicked Naomi’s inner elbow joint with bruising force. Naomi couldn’t hold back a sound of pain as she withdrew.

“The other Masters won’t let you walk. They will come for you and they will kill you unless you’re skilled enough to defeat them. And I know you aren’t there yet.”

Lancer bared his teeth. “You’re really shit at supporting the people under you. Aren’t you a Master? Where’s your Servant? Hiding just like you’re doing now? Can you only attack people who can’t fight back?”

It stung to hear him think she was helpless. No matter how hard she tried, she was always proven how pathetically weak she was.

Joan’s lips formed a thin line. “Watch your mouth, dog. I’m talking to my niece, not you.”

“Stop it,” Naomi demanded angrily and burst a barrier at her to make Joan back off and give her some breathing room. She wanted Joan to shut her mouth and disappear into the night.

“Shut up.” Joan seethed and avoided the barrier. “Don’t speak unless I ask you a question.”

Lancer’s voice fell flat. “You have a sour mouth on you. Why don’t you come out here and tests those fists on me?”

Naomi felt like she had been struck with electricity. Joan had never cursed at her before. She was harsh, but never to this extent. It was like she was a completely different person.

Joan acted as if she hadn’t heard him and spoke to Naomi again. “I’ll keep the other Masters from killing you. All you have to do is survive until the end and inform me of other Master’s movements. Do not engage other Servants. Understood?”

Lancer gripped his weapon tighter.

“No,” Naomi said through shaky breath and coiled stomach. “I don’t want to just survive and sit on the sideline. You can’t realistically expect me not to get involved in other fights.”

Joan narrowed her eyes. “You still don’t get it. You can’t do anything but survive. The whole world is against you and I’m the only one on your side. Go home and rest up. I’ll contact you later when you’ve calmed down. Understood?”

Naomi was disgusted at herself. She had promised to fight, even if it was against Joan, and here she was unable to do a damn thing against her. Joan always ended up right. “I never agreed to sit and do nothing. But, I have changed my mind. I won’t help you get the Grail. I’ll get it myself.”

A wave of dizziness struck her throbbing head and she gripped her hairline. Something wet coated her fingers.

Joan sighed and rubbed her temple. “The Grail is already ours. It doesn’t matter which one of us gets it. Go home before you hurt yourself further. Understood?”

Naomi glanced at Lancer who was standing at the barrier line with a pinched brow. If she left now she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye.

“You called me here to fight, didn’t you? Why don’t you finish what you started?”

“Don’t do it,” Lancer interjected.

“Why are you always so stubborn.” Joan walked toward her, and Naomi collected prana into her runes. “I said. Understood?”

Naomi waited for Joan to get closer. Joan halted suddenly and started chanting a spell. The ground under Naomi’s feet lit up white and she barley registered that she should get out of dodge when an invisible force gripped her throat.

“Tell me you understand.”

Naomi struggled for breath and clawed at the invisible force. She wasn’t answering fast enough.

“Understood?” Joan asked, impatient.

Naomi felt her very core crawl as she reluctantly gagged out the word, “U-Uunder-stood.”

She was sent tumbling through the air, unable to distinguish up from down until something snagged her out of the sky. The wind rushed through by her ears as her stomach dropped with gravity. Lancer landed on his two feet while holding her bridal style. His hold was close, pressing her chest up against his where she could feel his heart hammering as quickly as her own. His muscles were tensely coiled and his fingers dug into her skin.

Lancer’s teeth were bared at Joan standing just inside the bounded field. “Is this really how you treat someone who’s supposed to be family?” he snarled.

“You should turn that passion on the other Masters and Servants. They’re the ones who mean her real harm. You are her guard, aren’t you?”

“Let me down,” Naomi said quietly while rubbing her throat.

It was frightening to hear the growl in Lancer’s throat and see the fire in his eyes. He complied and stepped in front of her, summoning Gae Bolg. “Funny how you won’t answer me. You’re lucky there’s a barrier between us, but I suppose you planned it that way. Humans in general suck but, you mages take it to a whole new level.”

Lancer was getting too heated. Naomi knew her aunt liked it when people were enraged. It made them stupid and vulnerable.

“Lancer. Let’s go.” Naomi’s voice came out robotic “She won’t summon her Servant so there’s no point staying.” She reached for her pocketed car keys. Her hands were shaking so much it was hard to fish them out.

Lancer grit his teeth. “Why don’t you stop hiding behind there like a coward?”

“Lancer,” Naomi called again.

“What a scary look. Are you angry?” Joan’s eyes narrowed with intensity. “I play smart, not honorably.”

As she spoke, an unnatural fog closed in from all sides like a rolling tide, blocking Joan from sight. This wasn’t a spell her aunt was known to use.

“Damn her,” Lancer cursed, and it looked like he wanted to spring at her despite the bounded field.

Naomi breathed deep and the fog entered her lungs, burning its way down. Her throat convulsed, and she coughed on the acrid itch. She put he shirt over her nose, trying not to breathe it in.

Something flew at them out of the fog and Lancer lunged as if launched off a spring board. He deflected it and was swallowed by the fog. Naomi took a step toward, him about to call out when a presence filled Naomi’s left.

She hazarded a tilt of her head, hoping it was Lancer. What she saw was a gaunt little girl of perhaps ten dressed in dirty rags. Her limp arms were curled into fists against her bare legs and her vacant yellow eyes stared up at Naomi.

The little girl spoke in a dead, husky voice. “I want to go back where it’s warm.” Daggers appeared in her fists with a flash of blue and she moved faster than Naomi could react.

The blades sliced over Naomi’s thighs and she gagged as metal ripping through flesh and muscle.

Naomi struck her palm at the girl and staggered to stay standing. The child jumped back, easily dodging the popping barrier. A nearby clashing of metal made her insides churn and Naomi started coughing anew when she sucked in the fog.

“Face me head on! Are you too scared to strike me like a proper fighter?” Lancer’s bellowing challenge cut through the night.

Naomi moved blindly, using his voice as a guide, until she bumped into her crouched Servant and came face to face with Lancer’s blade. Veins were popping up around his eyes which had narrowed to vertical slits. She had never looked into the eyes of someone with such a deadly intent to kill. In that instant, she was terrified of him.

Lancer swung his weapon to point it blindly into the fog. “Watch your back,” he warned and backed up to Naomi. She could see he was bleeding from his chest through a long gash.

He cursed. “I can’t see a thing and this fog is poisoned.”

They had to be dealing with Joan’s Servant. The bad part was, Naomi didn’t know what class of Servant. The only classes unaccounted for in the files, aside from her Lancer, was Archer and Assassin. Archers used projectiles, not knifes. It had to be Assassin.

The hidden little girl began humming a somber tune that echoed from everywhere at once. “Mommy says I should kill you. Then I can go where it’s warm.” 

Naomi resisted the urge to press up against her warrior. This little girl. This Assassin Servant…there was something extremely wrong about her.

“Is it too much trouble to give a little warning?” Lancer lamented.

As if to answer him, a sword the size of a claymore flashed out of the fog. He moved swiftly and blocked the blow with his lance. It vanished back into the mists.

A childish chuckle surrounded them, and the blade returned, nearly running Naomi through the head. Lancer danced around Naomi and blocked the hit. Though the blade was still pushing against Lancer’s weapon, a second, normal sized dagger flashed into sight.

Lancer hastily flung away the sword he was parrying and whirled to knock away the dagger. 

Naomi put her hands up and barely managed to make a split-second barrier that deflected an emerging sword back where it came from. Lancer remained poised above her as the weapons seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Naomi cursed through her shirt. They couldn’t fight without being able to see the enemy and this poison fog was making her limbs feel numb. If they moved away from each other, Lancer risked killing her on accident. Maybe she could draw out Assassin. Somehow.

“Don’t lose your focus,” Lancer’s back muscles tightened as he leaned over his weapon, holding one hand over the other.

A giggle alerted them to their right. Lancer’s blade gleamed, cutting through nothing as Gae Bolg’s tip became obscured. Lancer tilted under unexpected weight. The girl charged up the weapon’s shaft with daggers held at her sides.

Lancer lurched back, and Naomi slid against his out turned chest. She thrusted her palms forward, exploding light and shoving the girl off the lance. The blast cleared some of the fog, but it quickly refilled the space.

Naomi coughed. Once. Twice. It was started to get difficult to breathe. Her throat was burning and feeling thick whenever she swallowed. It didn’t help it felt like there as a golf ball forming on her the side of her head.

Lancer blocked a flashing sword and saw a wielded dagger coming for his side, but he didn’t have time to parry and deflect the dagger without putting Naomi in harms way. He braced himself and let it sink in below his rib cage. Assassin was on the end of the dagger, her eyes dead and unreadable.

“Lancer!” Naomi reached around to try and blast Assassin away but, she retreated before Naomi got the chance. The blade in Lancer’s side dissipated into invisible magic.

Naomi realized, with mortification, that she was hindering her Servant’s ability to fight. That, and learning he was willing to get stabbed to keep her from getting injured made her feel even more awful.

The little girl giggled again, and Naomi dropped to the ground. Her palms pressed against the chilled concrete and runes hidden under her sleeves glowed. A barrier erupted, pushing away the fog in their immediate area and deflecting three thrown daggers.

“This place is cold. I hate it.” The little girl’s voice wrapped around them and Naomi struggled to keep the barrier up to protect her and Lancer while trying to figure out where the girl was coming from.

Lancer’s eyes darted around in search of the other Servant.

“Your Servant is adequately motivated to protect you. But I’m not sure he’ll be enough.” Joan’s voice cut through and the fog began to lift. “Don’t let her die, so called Child of Light. Or I’ll kill you.” Joan’s voice floated after her, making Naomi’s skin crawl. “Remember. I love you, sweetie.”

When they could see all the way to the church, Naomi let the barrier fall. Joan and the Servant were nowhere to be seen.

“ch’.” Lancer stood from his slight crouch and held his side. “I’m getting real tired of these Masters and their mind games.”

Naomi cringed as the world swayed. “Sorry.” She looked at Lancer’s wounds then was struck with a coughing fit.

“Hey.” He took a step closer, glancing at her head. “The fog didn’t get to you too bad did it?”

She shook her head and looked at his wound again. “Can you make it home?”

All of his anger from earlier seemed to melt on the spot and he smiled cockily. “No worries. I’ve had worse.” 

She wasn’t convinced. The stab wound was deep and trickling bright red blood that glittered with concentrated mana.

Naomi helped Lancer get to the car while her own wounds stung and her head spun.

Naomi drove home at fast as she comfortably could speed, breaking into coughing fits several times. One time, she came away with blood splotches. Her hands shook violently on the steering wheel and her vision threatened to give in to an encroaching blackness.

“I’m not usually one to stick my nose in other’s business, but I think you should look for a new employer.”

She couldn’t muster up her voice to retort to his sarcasm. He wasn’t wrong, but it was only temporary.

“Nice night for a drive,” Lancer tried again as he laid in the back.

“Yeah,” Was all Naomi could manage, but she was glad he was talking to her. It was making it easier to stay alert.

She screeched to a halt in front of her apartment and hurriedly got out and opened the back of the car. Lancer sat slumped against the far door, holding his side. A line of red liquid oozed from his mouth and red crystals spouted from his side. The cut on his chest looked shallow and was already starting to clot. He gave her an infuriating smile marred by pain.

“Had worse my ass.” Naomi snarled and crawled into the back seat. “Hold still.”

She sat between his legs and put her hands over his side. His warm blood seeped between her fingers and she glanced at the slice in his chest. Naomi willed every ounce of magic in her to close his wounds. Her own gashes in her legs screamed at the abuse and her lungs and throat stung horribly. The rest of her body throbbed from being thrown around like a rag doll. The poison probably amplified the feeling.

“I don’t think I have a choice,” Lancer joked.

Sweat began to bead her forehead as her prana drained. She had never tried to close such a deep wound and she wasn’t sure if the healing would do anything for the poison. The headache she had from earlier was increasing tenfold and the dried blood on her temple was starting to itch.

Lancer pushed her back, cutting off her concentration and her healing magic. “I appreciate it but if you expend anymore magic you won’t be able to heal yourself.”

“There only a little bit left. Just let me finish.” She deflected his hand and leaned forward to continue healing the now shallow cut. Healing his wounds was all she could do to make up for how badly she had messed up.

Lancer placed his hand above her chest to stop her from leaning further and continuing. “I can already feel my energy returning. The rest will fix itself. You should close-up your wounds. You’re bleeding on me, you know.”

“I said let me finish,” she said forcefully, but was bellied by her shaking voice. Her whole body was starting to vibrate. She coughed into her arm and nearly choked on the ferocity of her abused lungs.

“Alright. That’s enough.” Lancer said with finality and exited the car.

“Excuse me, Master.” Lancer scooped her up and pulled her from the car.

“I don’t need to be carried,” she slurred angrily then broke into another coughing fit that rattled in her chest.

“I’d rather not drop you and look bad so quit squirmin’.” He took them up the stairs and unlocked the apartment. She had no idea when he had taken the keys.

“Put me down,” she demanded. There was no reason she couldn’t walk on her own. 

“Hold on a second.” Lancer struggled to keep a grip until he shimmied the door open and let her go inside.

Naomi stumbled toward the bedroom through with black edging in on the sides of her vision. First thing she needed to do was get rid of her jeans so she could heal the wound without the fabric fusing with the cut. Then she needed a shower. Maybe some food.

Naomi holed up in the bathroom and nearly fell back into the tub trying to take her jeans off. She shucked off her shoes and struggled out of her jeans with shaking hands. There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t vibrating, and she cursed every second that it wouldn’t stop.

The pain and a knot in her gut was pushing her stomach to the limit as her breath hitched and her eyes became watery.

She gritted her teeth, willing herself not to cry, and yanked her pants down over the wounds. Kicking the jeans away, the healing runes on her skin glowed and sealed the cuts in her legs. The wound stitched itself back together and regrew healthy tissue. The feeling was awful as muscle and skin that should have needed stitches was bound back together.

When the healing light faded, Naomi was on the brink of nausea. At least some of the pain was gone. The healing had alleviated some of her headache. Her chest convulsed in a series of coughs that spasmed down to her stomach.

Naomi started the water in the tub to wash off the blood.

She scrubbed quickly then sank against the outside of the tub. The water was still running and echoing loudly in the bathroom. Naomi pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes that were finally starting to dry up. There was no reason to be having a breakdown over nothing. There was still a lot more of the war to go. Her aunt had been right. Naomi needed to be tougher. All the other magi grew up with magic in their everyday life, and most Masters had spent their entire lives training for the Holy Grail War. If Naomi couldn’t handle them, then she could never prove herself as a competent magus.

Lancer knocked. “You’re being awfully quiet in there.”

Naomi wiped away the last of her tears and turned off the water. “Don’t come in. I’m coming out.”

Lancer was standing sentry just outside the door. His lips were drawn in a thin line and his eyes full of worry. Naomi gave him a passing glance to check for remaining injuries and rummaged in her drawers for a clean pair of non-ripped shorts. There were spots in her vision and she thought she might be seeing double.

“Are you sure the poison didn’t get to you?” She hastily put on shorts, not caring that Lancer could see her underwear.

“Me? Nah. It doesn’t work very well on Servants unless they’re trapped in it for a long while.”

Naomi couldn’t hold back another coughing fit and felt liquid rise up into her throat that she swallowed back down.

“It’s pretty potent on regular humans but I don’t think we were in it long enough for it to be dangerous,” he said with assurance.

She picked up stray clothes on the floor, missed them with her fingers a few times, and threw them into the laundry bin in the closet. Naomi passed by him to reenter the bathroom to retrieve her ruined jeans.

“So long as you give yourself time to recover,” Lancer added as he watched her struggle to move around.

Naomi trashed the jeans and picked up a piece of paper that was sticking out from under the bed. It had likely gotten away during her study sessions.

“Master,” Lancer tried to grab her attention when she fumbled to shove the paper into the book on the desk.

Naomi shoved scattered pencils into the pencil holder. Her room was a disaster and she should have picked it up a week ago, but it was difficult with her vision all wonky.

“What is it?” She turned around and jumped at how close he was standing. He was much taller than her. Almost by a foot.

“That was a hint that you should sit down. You can clean up later, yeah? The mess isn’t going to get up and run away.”

She wanted to ask him how she was supposed to relax after they had nearly died. As if to spite her and prove his point, she broke into a coughing fit and leaned against the desk for support. She tried to speak up several more times but could only manage a nod to answer Lancer.

“Hang on. I’ll get some water. We don’t need you coughing up a lung.” Lancer hastily left, and Naomi sat on the messy bed and gripped the edges of the sheets.

The same rolling sensation that she received during finals week for a class she knew she was close to failing.

Lancer and his twin her wavering vision had produced quickly returned. “Here.”

Naomi tried to take the offered glass but missed, catching nothing but air.

Lancer gently held the back of her hand steady and put the glass in her fingers. “She hit your head pretty hard. How much can you still see?”

She hated to admit it. “It’s a little blurry.”

“Doesn’t sound too serious. I’ve been smacked there before. It sucks for a while but goes away.”

Lancer sat next to her as she guzzled the water like a camel in the desert. She pried the glass away from her lips to cough from drinking too much too quickly. Naomi took steadying breaths, but her limbs were still shaking.

“Do you really hate humans and magi?” It had been bothering her since he said it. She knew it was in the heat of the moment, but maybe he resented being her Servant.

Lancer sighed with exasperation. “Hate is too strong of a word. More like I don’t care for their troubles.” His tone lightened. “If you’re thinking I hate you that’s not true either. You have spirit. I like that. You haven’t done anything to make me dislike ya.”

Hearing him quell her fears somehow didn’t help. Her tone was downcast, and the pads of her fingers traced the edges of the drinking glass. “I said all that stuff about winning the war and then immediately got beaten up,” She huffed humorlessly. “That wasn’t like her. I don’t know what happened.”

Lancer threw and arm around her shoulders and tugged her to his side.

Naomi instantly went ridged. Each point of pressure he applied to her body lit up like fire. He radiated engulfing heat and his toned muscles were both hard and pliable as they flexed around her with a squeezing hug.

He sighed. “That boss of yours is a real piece of work. I thought something smelled fishy, but I wasn’t expecting an attack.” He threw his head back. “That lady has a lot of nerve and not the good kind.”

Naomi’s brain had short circuited, grinding completely to a halt as all it could focus on was the alien feeling of touching someone. The tension in her muscles increased her shaking to a nonstop shiver.

“What’s wrong, Master? Thinking the same thing? You’re still shaking a bit.”

He pulled her flush against him and the contact enough to make her see white.

“Cat got your tongue?” He then noticed her vacant, wide-eyes and a mischievous grin split his face. “Or something else?” He flexed the arm over her shoulder and placed the tips of his fingers under her chin.

He lifted her face, so she had to look at him and she received a blurry eye full of his sharp, leering eyes.

Naomi immediately yanked her head back in both embarrassment and anger. “What are you doing?”

She regretted the movement and held her head. Lancer rested his hand on the top of her head.

“You can’t play coy when your face is all flustered.”

“W-w-what? It’s not like that.” Sure, he was good looking, but his attractiveness was the furthest thing from her mind right now. “I’m…not used to being hugged.”

He leaned in closer over her, trapping her other side with the arm he leaned on behind her opposite side. His closeness was almost intoxicating and suffocating at the same time. Naomi was being touched by more people lately than she had been in years. Her parents had hugged her plenty when she was small, but it had been now those interactions were few and far between. Having someone so close was jarring, especially after her treatment by Joan that night.

“That’s a shame. You have a lot of good points.” His voice dropped an octave. “Want me to show you, Master?”

She leaned away and placed her hands on his chest. “I mean like being hugged, you gutter brain. My head hurts too much to even comprehend what you’re saying.”

“Suuure,” he grinned. “You’re not used to hugs, huh? That’s easy to fix.”

She started to get up just to diffuse the situation, but Lancer grabbed her and smashed her against him in a squeezing, vice grip. Naomi squeaked in surprise and flailed, letting go of the forgotten cup. Luckily, she had drank most of it so only a few splashes sloshed out. It was impossible to protest with her face forcibly pressed into his broad chest.

“If your head hurts so much you shouldn’t be getting up.” He eased up after a few seconds, but Naomi didn’t pull away.

The contact was foreign, yet disturbingly enticing. His body heat seeped through her clothes and the steady rise and fall of his chest was soothing. She had a strange, stray thought that this was what something felt like when it was alive.

Slowly, she returned the hug, more so resting on him than squeezing or hanging onto him. She just, drank up his presence. His heat and his scent.

“Come on, that’s not a hug. Do I have to teach you that, too?”

Her face heated up. Of course he would make fun of her.

“What do you mean, too? You wouldn’t help out with the runes,” she puffed.

“Yeah, about that. Maybe sometime later.” He stroked the back of her head and it was enough to silence her. “This feels oddly nostalgic.”

His hand kept moving downward and around to her side, gliding slowly and sensually as he rubbed his thumb over her shirt. It was like he was trialing fire down her back. Naomi shivered then her trembling relaxed all at once.

“How should I know?” She grumbled.

* * *

_The line of Cú Chulainn’s fishing pole hit the water with a splash and the line sank beneath the murky lake. He chewed on a piece of grass, feeling a good kind of sore from practicing with his sword. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and he closed his eyes to soak up the sun hitting his back. As much as he liked fighting, this was just as good when time allowed it._

_“Hey! Cú Chulainn!” A man sword swinging at his side waved._

_Cú Chulainn’s lips upturn. He had started to wonder when Ferdiad would show up. He had certainly taken his sweet time at the castle._

_The edges of his vision were black. It was only for a few seconds, but he could see a woman lying still on the ground, covered in blood and lacerations. Something towering and broader than several demonic boars hovered behind her like a monolith. His lungs rose and fell raggedly as fear coiled around his chest, outweighing the pain stabbing throughout his beaten body. He couldn’t put a name to this person, but his heart felt like it was shredding. He had to get to them before that thing could kill her. He dug his nails in the dirt and managed to drag himself a few inches._

_Darkness encroached on the woman and black tendrils poised sharp above her._

_His voice ripped out, raw like the invisible dagger striking his chest. “No!”_

* * *

The sun’s rays woke Naomi. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up in a panic from the nightmare. She rubbed her sleep caked eyes and willed her breath to slow. It didn’t work when she remembered yesterday. Something in Joan had snapped, and Naomi had declared a break of their contract.

Despite wanting to roll back over, she got up and went into the bathroom to clean up.

Clean and feeling a little better, Naomi turned on the TV while passing the living room and limped into the kitchen. Her body felt like it had been used as a punching bag and every step ached.

“Another high school student has gone missing-” The newscaster droned on as Naomi turned on the coffee maker.

“Lancer are you there?” She was surprised he hadn’t shown himself. After only a couple weeks, she had grown accustomed to him chatting up a storm as soon as she started moving about the apartment.

 _“Something up?”_ He spoke into her mind.

“Are all your wounds healed up?” She spoke to the TV while reaching for a coffee filter. It was awkward to converse without know where he was standing.

 _“Healed up one hundred percent.”_ He sounded cheerful, at least. _“You look better.”_

A rock hit her stomach and embarrassment filled her cheeks. She had kicked him out last night so she could sleep. Just thinking about him holding her against his side made her face burn with embarrassment.

“Why don’t you materialize?” She asked the air.

The coffee filter box was empty, but she had a fresh one somewhere. She opened the creaky upper cabinets and internally sighed. The cardboard box sat pushed inside the lip of the top shelf.

 _“I take up less energy when I’m like this and it’s easier to move around.”_ As he spoke, Naomi could see blue lights dancing at the corner of her vision.

Naomi put her knee on the counter and hoisted herself to a kneeling position. Her bruises protested the movement, but she was determined to put some caffeine in her body. Her back arched so she could see into the cabinet and her fingers brushed the small red box.

“You’re lacking a bit in height there.” He walked behind her and easily grabbed the box from the shelf.

“Hey! I had it,” she huffed and tried to take it back from him. She should move it lower next time so he wouldn’t think he needed to help.

Lancer held it back out of reach with a cheeky grin. “You weren’t even close.”

She glared at him over her shoulder and twisted around to try and grab the box. She was slightly taller than him in this position, but her perch was unsteady. Naomi stretched a little too hard and her bruised ribs screamed where Joan had kicked her. She recoiled and tensed up.

It looked like she was teetering, so Lancer caught the underside of her arm. Naomi reflexively grabbed his bicep.

“You probably shouldn’t be climbing on counters like a monkey if you’re not healed up.”

Her face heated up at the analogy. “ _Monkey?!”_

Lancer laughed, and her cheeks burned worse when she realized he had heard her.

“Would you back off?” She shoved him away, so she could climb down. “And give me that.”

“You want this, Masster?” Lancer mockingly dragged out the title and held the box over his head like a tantalizing prize. From the ground, it was well out of her reach. If she jumped she would look like a fool.

“Lancer.” Her switch to a short, commanding tone made his lips quirk. “Give me the filters.”

He hummed and looked away, considering following the order. “Maybe I want to keep them for myself.”

“Why? Are you going to make the coffee?”

He smirked down at her and Naomi was suddenly struck with the realization that he was blocking the only way out of the kitchen and was towering over her. A small part of the back of her mind told her it wasn’t smart to have let him back her into a corner, but she willed herself to calm down. She didn’t think he would do anything and the had the means to stop him.

Lancer noticed her shift in mood and his lips fell to a line. “What? Are you afraid I would mess it up?”

She was grateful he had read her wrong. “Why don’t you prove me wrong?”

His eyes glinted at the challenge. “Easy enough. Go sit down and I’ll take care of it.”

Naomi didn’t think it would be that easy, but apparently, he was more motivated by a challenge than a command. He started prepping the coffee and she slipped out behind him. She situated herself at the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. Lancer did look like he knew what he was doing. But, the machine didn’t take a genius to operate and he had seen her make a cup every morning. It was odd watching him move around in her kitchen in his battle gear.

With nothing to do but wait, her mind wandered back to last night. Lancer hadn’t shown any indication he was bothered by Joan’s harsh words. For some reason, deep in her gut, Naomi had hated the way Joan talked to Lancer.

“I don’t think you’re a fake,” Naomi blurted.

Lancer was about to press the pour button, but his finger remained hovering as he looked back a her with surprised. His face morphed into a knowing smirk, and he was about to say something, but she beat him to it.

“I summoned you to be an extension of myself in the war, but I don’t think you’re a mindless robot.”

Lancer casually hit the blinking brew button and the machine gurgled noisily. “I don’t know what’s going in your mind. But whatever it is you’re overthinking it.”

The machine finished, and he placed the single serve cup in front of her. The enticing smell of coffee curled in the air and the froth in cup bubbled. Perfectly formed. Lancer leaned his elbows on the counter with a cocksure grin.

Maybe he was right, but too much happened for her to not think about it, and the questions her aunt had stirred up. “I did break off my alliance with her.” Sort of. In word, at least. Naomi knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Yeah, you sure did. Are you going to rate my coffee?”

“Looks right,” she passively commented. “I think we should go back to the church today.”

He grew an edge to his voice. “You’ve got guts going back there so soon, but what for?”

Her nose wrinkled. “To give a so-called priest a piece of my mind.”

* * *

In broad daylight the small church looked like any other place of worship.

“Hold up.” Lancer materialized when she got out of the car. “You realize you’re going behind the bounded field again?”

He was agitated, and she didn’t blame him.

“Joan won’t be here. Just wait by the gate.” She gave him a confidant smile.

Lancer grudgingly waited as Naomi tried to hide her limping. Every step hurt, and her throat was still a bit raw.

The pews were empty, and the stain glass room was vacant save for a familiar old priest standing before the central alter.

Naomi didn’t bother easing into a conversation. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she said hotly.

Roland kept up his calm demeanor. “What can I do for you, Naomi?”

“You said the church was an extension of the Mage Association. Is that actually true? Or has it been a lie this whole time?”

Roland showed no signs of guilt. “Did you see Joan?”

“That’s not what I asked.”

This was the man who told her she wasn’t good enough to be a magus. The one who cunningly manipulated her into accidentally rat out the fact her Aunt had been teaching her.

“What if I told you she is not part of the Mage Association and never has been?”

Her hands curled into fists at her side. “You did kick her out.”

“You’re confused, child. She had always worked for the church.”

“What’s going on in here?” A lean man around her age wore an expensive collared shirt and slacks. He had short blond hair and his blue eyes snapped between them as he stepped out of a back room.

Naomi instantly recognized him from the Master profiles. Edward. A person connected to a wealthy, old mage family and had the powerful Saber class servant. Her hair stood on end despite knowing the Servant couldn’t be inside the barrier.

 _”Saber’s master is here,”_ She warned Lancer. _“Keep an eye out for the Servant.”_

Lancer cursed. _“I had a feeling this was a bad idea. You should leave.”_

_“Not yet.”_

Edward looked Naomi up and down. “So, you’re the rogue mage and now Master that the church has sequestered.”

He must have seen her files as well.

“I’m from the Mage Association. I’m here to partake in the Grail War and make sure the church isn’t hiding anything else.” His accent was thick and foreign.

Roland clasped his hands behind his back. “I assure you, master Edward. The church is hiding nothing. What would it gain?”

“A lot, apparently. On the minuscule possibility this girl wins the Grail you plan to take it for yourself. Since she’s not a protected family and you’ve kept her existence under lock and key. I wouldn’t be lying to me when there’s a living testimony standing in front of us.” Edward looked at Naomi. “I had meant to contact you, but the opportunity never presented itself. I don’t know how a low-class magus managed to steal a catalyst and summon a Servant. Or worm their way into Lord El-Melloi’s contacts”

Naomi was starting to feel like she knew absolutely nothing about the Mage Association or the Church. She felt like an ignorant idiot. “So the Church and the Mage Association aren’t the same?” 

“Certainly not. I know the Church has been lying to you. I can tell you what is really going on.” He gave Roland a pointed look. “In private.” 

If she followed Edward she would in a small room, alone, with a powerful magus. The burning desire to figure out what was true and what was a lie was too strong.

Naomi found herself in a study she had sat in several times before. It was where the priest Roland liked to interrogate her. Edward closed the door behind them and walked around the desk dominating the room.

“You appear angry and rightfully so. But I will ask you to stave that rage.” Edward sat in the desk’s chair and folded his hands on-top of the carved wood. He looked for all the world like he owned the office and sat there every day, but she had never seen him before. 

Naomi’s eyes demanded he get on with whatever he wanted to tell her. “What did you mean by the church has been hiding me?”

“The Church is not fond of mages. Though we have treaties with the Church. They’re petty and didn’t want to see you get picked up by the Association. Your family is new, so it was easy to sweep you under the rug for hiding. Regarding that, I don’t normally extend my resources to strangers, but you are a special case. Being related to Joan. And a Master. And you revealed yourself by contacting Lord El- Melloi directly. Usually, only top tier mages who train their whole lives can become Masters. You have really thrown the association a curve ball that they can’t ignore.”

Joan had warned her about the Mage Association for long as Naomi could remember. The association were con artists who used then discarded people. If you didn’t hold enough power in their ranks, you were fresh meat for the others to pick over until there was nothing left. Still, she had a burning desire to know their world.

“You know Joan?”

“There isn’t a mage that doesn’t. She’s was a notorious mage killer for the Church.”

Naomi had never thought her aunt had killed anyone. If he had told her this a day earlier, she would have balked. After witnessing Joan’s brutality last night, Naomi bit her tongue.

“And how do I factor into this?

“I want you to fight for me in this war.”

Naomi couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy. First the Church, now this stranger.

“Why should I fight for you?” Not that she ever would.

“That was poor phrasing. I will be on the battlefield too, of course. What I mean to say is we should be allies so I can evaluate your skills.”

Naomi folded her arms. “Why do they need to be evaluated?”

“Part of why I’m here is to see where your power falls and whether or not you’re salvageable for the Association. That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Naomi grew hot. “Did _he_ send you?” She was referring to Lord El- Melloi II.

Naomi joined the war to prove, on her own, that she was a decent magus and worthy of becoming of an apprentice.

“I’m not some washed up trash. I don’t need to be salvaged.”

“You don’t have a choice in the matter. Meet me here in two days-time at ten o’clock. In the mean-time, ready yourself for battle.”

Naomi was buzzing at the thought of a fight. Unlike her aunt, this magus wanted to throw her into the war. “What makes you think I’ll comply?”

He gave her a look that said it should have been obvious. “If I don’t evaluate you fit to join the Association, then the church will be conscripted to kill you.”

* * *

In her mind Lancer kept inquiring about what happened. Naomi had walked out of the church, disoriented and angry. She wouldn’t say a word until she was sitting in her parked car in the apartment parking lot.

 _“I’m being jerked around,”_ she focused on sensing Lancer instead of the twisting in her gut. _“The Church has lied to me all my life. Saber’s master wants me to team up with him for the war. He wants to see if I’m ‘salvageable’ as a magus.”_ She spat Edward’s word into the link. _“If I’m not, he’ll send hitmen. I reached out to them! Why do they want to kill me all of a sudden?”_

 _“You’re surrounded by some great people,”_ Lancer said sarcastically. _“This Master tells you to be your ally and insults you in the same sentence? Were those his only terms?”_

She leaned her head on the steering wheel. _“He set a meet up time.”_

_“Aaand. You’re going?” He hesitated to guess._

_“I don’t want to, but I think he really will send a mage killer after me.”_

_“Eh, even if he does they won’t get past me.”_

Naomi rested her head on the steering wheel. Lancer’s confidence was reassuring, but she knew it would be fleeting. _“Even after the Grail War?”_

She didn’t know what happened to Servants after a War was over. Somehow, she didn’t think it involved the Servant sticking around.

Lancer fell quiet as if he hadn’t thought that far. _“You have a point.”_ There was a beat of silence then he added, _“I could also string up this Edward guy and beat Saber. Then kill Edward if he still insists on sending assassins.”_

Naomi leaned back and cracked a small smile. _“Nice to know you have a backup plan.”_

_“I don’t like spineless runts who threaten my partner.”_

Hearing him call her his partner shocked her so thoroughly that she accidentally hit the car horn and made herself jump at the blaring sound.


	3. Chapter 3

Most of the day was spent practicing on the barrier covering the apartment complex. Naomi tried strengthening it to hone her magic and accidentally shattered the dome few times. The clock ticked two hours before it was time to leave to meet Edward, so she packed up her papers and frustration and gave up for the night.

She walked in on Lancer standing in front of the open fridge, drinking straight from the orange juice carton.

"You're supposed to get a glass for that," she scolded more out of tension than caring if he was filling the container with spit wads.

He put the carton back in the fridge and licked a line of juice from his upper lip. "I didn't want enough to grab a glass."

Naomi sat at the bar and rummaged through her purse. She fished out her phone as Lancer threw an arm over her shoulders. He leaned a hefty portion of his weight on her as he tried to get a look at what she was doing. The screen blinked, void of notifications.

"Still nothing?" He asked.

"No." Naomi pinched the nerve between his thumb and forefinger.

Lancer make a choking sound and backed off, waving his hand out.

"Ready for tonight? I doubt we'll leave without some kind of fight," Naomi asked.

"Are you kidding? I'm ready now. Let's go kick Saber's ass."

* * *

It was dark when they arrived at the church. Edward was leaning against a concrete bollard near the church's entrance with his hands in his pockets.

He had a neutral smile and pushed off the post. "Good. You decided to come."

Naomi shrugged despite the annoyance that crept up at seeing him. Lancer was hanging back in Spirit form on her request.

"Because you gave me such a great ultimatum."

Behind Edward, orbs of light shimmered and coalesced into a tall, blond haired man in shining silver armor.

Naomi took a step back, anticipating an attack. She did not trust this guy from the Clock Tower, and she did not want a repeat of Joan.

"My lord." Saber bowed his head. "The Servant you sensed is still at the school, but I have been unable to locate them. My apologies."

"It's fine, Gawain. Knowing they're still around is good enough." Edward turned toward Naomi. "The school is within walking distance. I prefer to use my own two feet to machines."

" _Gawain is his Servant's name? I've never heard of him,"_ Naomi thought to Lancer.

" _A knight of the round table. Huh. Revealing his true name like that. Talk about an idiot."_

Naomi was intrigued. _"Like, King Arthur round table?"_

" _Exactly. He wields the sister sword to Excalibur. He won't be an easy opponent."_ Lancer's voice lifted eagerly. _"I wonder if he's as good as the real thing."_

" _How do you know all that?"_ The grail telling Servants how to use a coffee maker was leagues different than giving them knowledge of every other Servant. Lancer's knowledge was going to be indispensable if she could dig up dirt on a servant. Now she understood why it was paramount to keep a Servant's true name secret. Joan had simply told her it was a big no-no.

"You didn't say another Servant and Master would be involved. Are you expecting us to fight with you against them?" Naomi asked Edward.

"I did say we would join forces. This Master and Servant need to be put down. Consider it your first trial run for the Mage Association."

"I want to be an apprentice at the Clock Tower, not join the Mage Association."

"Every magus has to be part of the Mage Association. Usually I would have sent a mage killer after you for illegally practicing magic, but you're getting an exception. Be grateful."

"Illegal?" She balked. She had never heard of magi needing a license. Killing someone for it sounded absurdly extreme. Despite all of Joan's harping on the Mage Association, Naomi had been determined to learn more magic. The Association was going to be her best bet to make it part of her life and not a hobby that she couldn't share with anyone. She didn't think they were _this_ bad. For the first time, she was starting to get nervous about the prospect of going to London.

Lancer's voice echoed through the air. _"I don't make a habit of interfering in others business."_ Lancer materialized next to her with his head haughtily thrown back. His lance appeared, and he lazily swung it in a circle. "But I have to make an exception when you threaten my Master."

"Lancer. One of the three knight classes." Edward eyed him like a piece of art.

Lancer was grinning from ear to ear and Naomi could feel excitement rolling off him in waves.

Lancer's presence made Naomi feel more in control and somewhat cooled her shaken nerves. As long as she had a Servant she wasn't helpless to the whims of others. She wondered, if she beat Edward here and now, and let Lancer kill him, there would be no one to send assassins for her life. Screw it. She didn't want anyone's help in this war.

"There's no point to this. You can evaluate my skills in other ways," Naomi said. "I don't want to team up with you."

"You get that I have to kill you if you don't come with me? Have I not been clear enough?"

He was a Master and so was she. There was another way to settle this. "That's reason enough for me to reject your so-called request. Lancer!"

It was risky to attack Edward. Maybe her future relied on his evaluation of her skills, but she wasn't going to put up with threats and she wasn't going to be used by some kid.

Lancer was giddy as he flipped Gae Bolg in a flash of red. Spinning it like a baton before pointing it at Gawain. "I thought you would never ask!"

"Go kick his Servant's ass."

"Leave him to me!" Wind gusted around Naomi as Lancer shot forward as if fired from a canon.

Gawain blocked Lancer's attack with his sword. Lancer spun his lance over his head then held it out toward Gawain. "Come on and fight me. Blade-to-blade."

"You want to die? Fine," Edward said. "Gawain. Kill Lancer."

Gawain held his sword in both hands and let it drop as he fell into stance. "Yes, my lord."

The Saber charged forward, his whole body like a rolling tank in a silver suit of armor. Naomi hastily put distance between them. She had been stuck between Lancer and Assassin's fight and Lancer nearly paid the price for her interference. Gawain looked much more powerful and could probably cleave them both with one stroke.

Naomi retreated further across the parking lot but was careful to stay out of view of the road. Lancer danced around Gawain's strokes that were inhumanly fast, but consistently too slow to catch Lancer. Lancer gracefully danced around Gawain and deflected the blows. Gawain wasn't as quick as Assassin or Rider.

Edward followed her. "Lancers are weak to Sabers and you've never been taught as a magus. You don't stand a chance." He held his hand up and chanted. The cap on a nearby fire hydrant popped off and water was drawn out like string being yanked through a straw.

Liquid burst from the hydrant and curled around Edward. The water formed into the head of a fanged dragon at the panicle of the water geyser. "You've made a stupid decision. I'll be acting on behalf of the Mage Association and dispose of you."

"So, you're going through the moody teenager phase. I get it." The only magic she had experience fighting against was fire and earth. Water would be tricky.

Edward chanted again, too quickly for Naomi to decipher the ancient words. At the end of his incantation, the dragon's mouth silently roared, and the geyser of water jetted forth from the fire hydrant. Naomi put her palms on the ground and generated a shielded dome. With runes, she didn't need to chant a spell. She willed her prana into the runes painted on her skin and the magic responded.

The water crashed against her barrier, batting it with little effect. The hydrant eventually ran out of water and a pool formed in a circle.

Her shield fell, and the water collected in around her feet. "I thought a magus from the Association would be stronger. A dragon head. Really?" She glanced behind her to see the Servants had taken their battle down the road.

The _shing_ of clashing blades echoed midair as a car drove unaware underneath them. The impacts created vibrations that Naomi could feel in her bones. There was a shattering of glass and crunch of metal as they disappeared into a building.

"If all you have is a flimsy shield then you won't last long." Edward's voice was steely.

She knew she couldn't beat him like this. She would have to get creative.

Edward was able to take something like a stream of harmless water and turn it into a weapon. Maybe she could do the same with her barriers.

Edward began chanting and the water around Naomi's feet sprang up in columns. One of the columns shot towards her. She deflected with a micro barrier that burst from her palm and was the size of a dessert plate. It only lasted long enough to stop the attack. The water scattered harmlessly and dampened her clothes and skin.

Naomi couldn't block all of the rising water, so she ran toward Edward before he could start a bombardment. The water threaded thin and whipped her back with enough speed and force that they jolted her back and left it stinging.

She managed to reach Edward and rushed her palm toward him and released a micro barrier. It snapped his hand that he was holding out to control the water. Edward lurched back, holding his wrist.

Naomi didn't pause and used her other palm to hit him in the chest. Edward stumbled back, bewildered. She stopped in front of him, ready to attack again. Naomi hadn't trained for fights like this. She had nothing to work on but flying by what felt right. The thought was terrifying and exhilarating in the same moment as her mind went blank.

Edward jerkily straightened his shirt. "I guess I have to be more serious if you're going to put up a fight."

Lancer was right. Edward thought they weren't a threat.

Her anger rose like a rising heat. "Did you think I would just roll over?"

Edward walked backwards. Naomi didn't want to give him the chance to put distance between them. He seemed to like fighting at range where she would have no way to attack. Naomi came at him again, snapping her open palm at his head. Edward dodged the attack and chanted in the same movement. The water washing down the pavement reversed flow. The liquid shot upward and wrapped around her neck like a live snake.

She staggered back, pulled by the water. It expanded and encased her face, forcing her to hold her breath and close her eyes. She reflexively tried to grab the tendril, but her hands phased right. Her lungs quickly burned to breathe and her muscles tightened.

By bursting a micro barrier at the thread of water connected to the ground, she broke the thread off from its source. The liquid fell away and she coughed up water.

"Maybe with a few years of training you would be a decent magus," Edward said.

The water whipped around her ankle and yanked her foot out from under her. She caught the fall with her hands, scrapping them on concrete as blunt force rattled through her arms and water sloshed around her wrists and soaked her pants.

The cold water shot into the air and encased her in a bubble, robbing her of sight and sound as she was forced to close her eyes and the water rushed into her ears. Shoving prana into her runes, a barrier expanded and blasted the water away. She skidded to her feet and ran at Edward, determined to keep him from chanting another spell.

Edward raised the back of his hand to face her. His arm was tattooed with countless seals. Many were half smeared. Each one was lit up with a crimson red light.

"Lancer! I command you to restrain your Master." Edward's voice roared.

Naomi almost made it to Edward when an arm hooked around her middle and locked her against the person's side. Her arm was outstretched, inches from Edward's face. She continued the attack and let a micro barrier start forming in front of her palm. Lancer swiftly grabbed both her wrists and locked them behind her back with such speed and force that she thought her shoulders were going to dislocate.

She cried out from the pain as Gawain caught up, his blade raised. Lancer swung Gae Bolg around to brace against the attack.

"Gawain! Stay your blade!" Edward ordered.

The Saber's eyes turned panicked. He had thrown all of his weight into the assault and couldn't stop. He rotated his blade struck Gae Bolg with the flat side of his sword. Naomi could feel the impact rattle through Lancer and cold air gushed around them as sparks flew. Gawain backed off but kept his sword at the ready. Lancer let go of her wrists. His chest heaved, and his pupils were silted like a viper's.

"That was a Command Seal. How?" Lancer snarled at Edward.

That was exactly what the hell Naomi wanted to know, too. Only she should have been able to command Lancer.

Edward's face stretched in a satisfied smile and he pulled down his sleeve. "I'm this Grail War's observer. I can command any Servant as needed."

Naomi rubbed her wrists, still jarred from being grabbed like by Lancer. "Isn't that cheating?"

If Edward could control any Servant, then the war's winner was already decided.

"I stand by strict rules. I only use the Seal's when the Grail War is being obstructed or a rule is being broken. There are consequences if I abuse the powers I have been bestowed."

Her words were biting as she gripped her wrists. "And which one just happened?"

"You were being an obstruction."

"Are you telling me Master's are allowed to kill each other?" He hadn't said a rule had been broken, and he had been the first to attack her.

"The killing of Master's is frowned upon but it is not forbidden. I am bound to allow it, but I think those Master's are disgusting and undeserving of the Grail.

"You just tried to _kill_ me!" Naomi was livid and wanted to throttle the teenager.

"I told you why your death was decreed. It had nothing to do with the War. But, I'll let you two live a bit longer. I can still make use of you and your Servant."

"Isn't that convenient," Lancer spat. He rearranged his grip on Gáe Bolg and spread his feet.

"You will serve me." Edward's seals shined bright against the night.

"Hah. Serve you? Not likely!" Lancer thrusted Gáe Bolg

As Lancer spoke, Edward chanted, "By this Seal. I order that if you disobey me, Lancer, you have to kill your Master."

Naomi could feel Lancer's breathing stall. Gáe Bolg stopped inches from Edward's chest and a pommel of a sword broadsided Lancer's head. He went down. Hard.

"Lancer!" Naomi jumped over Lancer's collapsed body and stuck her hand out, ready to erect a shield.

Gawain didn't show any indication of attacking again. His lips were drawn tight he didn't twitch a muscle.

"I still don't know who your Servant is, but his loyalty is commendable."

"Screw you!" Naomi was shaking as she gripped Lancer who was out cold.

Naomi's seals began to glow bright red. Edward pointed a finger and it started to glow. She had Command Seals too. She could reverse what he had done.

"Lancer! I Command-"

"Finn Shot," Edward interrupted.

A green light fired form Edward's finger like a bullet. The light struck Naomi in the chest before she could finish getting to her feet. She was blown back by the blast that spread over her on impact as if the geyser from the fire hydrant had hit her square on.

She doubled over, gasping for breath as pain spread over her front. Her knees sank into onto the cold pavement and it was an icy shock through her wet clothes.

Determined to move through the pain, Naomi opened her mouth to the continue with the command to reverse the spell. But, when she tried to form the syllables, it felt as if her throat swelled shut. She coughed, finding it impossible to breathe until she stopped trying to speak. She gripped the front of her waterlogged shirt and pulled it away from her skin, trying to give her lungs room.

"I understand why you're angry, but I'm doing this for a reason." Edward lit a cigarette and took a long drag. His eyes were callous as he looked down on her and Lancer in disappointment. "I'll take back my decision to kill you for now. I think I can make this work."

He started walking toward the church. "Gawain. Watch them until Lancer wakes up. It shouldn't take long."

Naomi covered Lancer the second Gawain started to move. They would have to go through her to do anything to him. Gawain merely bowed then turned sideways to avert his gaze. He was going to stand sentry, but not attack. Naomi tried to speak her command again, but her throat closed up. It was impossible to use a Seal without her voice.

Edward leaned against the bollard he had been occupying when Naomi drove up and he smoked his cigarette. She couldn't take on Edward and Gawain on her own, so she had to infuriatingly wait. She was already sick and tired of her inability to fight. She knew she wasn't some great trained magus. That's why she wanted to be admitted to the Clock Tower. She hadn't expected the Grail War to directly hinge on her abilities. This was supposed to be a Servant versus Servant fight. This was all starting to go so far above her head that she might as well be at the bottom of the ocean while everyone else was in space.

Naomi turned her attention to Lancer and placed his head in her lap. Blood was mixed in his hair where Gawain had struck with his sword. She gently brushed back his mane and sent healing mana into his body.

"I didn't hit him too hard. He'll be alright," Gawain said not unkindly while glancing down at them.

She gave him a sharp look. Letting her eyes say how pissed she was at him and Edward. Gawain respectfully looked away. Naomi wished she could pick up Lancer and carry him away, but he was too heavy, and Gawain would stop her from trying anything. All she could do was heal the wound on Lancer's head. She held him, tense and ready to use her barriers if Edward changed his mind and ordered Gawain to kill them. Not that she would be able to do a damn thing against the Saber.

It was a few minutes later when Lancer started to stir.

He wheezed out a groan. "What hit me?"

Naomi brushed back his bangs with a worried expression then sharply looked between Edward and Gawain. They were watching, but not moving.

Lancer grinned warily. "Whatever it was, it must have been worth it."

In any other situation, she would have yelled at him or felt embarrassed. Right now, she was too shaken after figuring out that she was in deep shit and too far in to back out.

Edward dropped his cigarette and stomped it out in a pile that had been growing at his feet. "Finally up?"

Lancer's eyes widened and he swung his arms out to rock to a sitting position. He held his arm out and Gáe Bolg shot off the ground where it had fallen into his waiting hand.

Edward walked toward them. "Lancer. Grab your Master's throat with both hands."

"Are you crazy?" Lancer spat, then his arm straightened without his control.

He jumped into a crouch and spun around. He knocked Naomi flat on her back. Gáe Bolg clattered on the ground as both of his hands wrapped around her throat. Naomi grabbed his arms out of out of reflex and froze under him. His grip was loose and barley touching her neck. She swallowed thickly and her already sore throat burned. Lancer his face scrunched up and his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Don't forget. If you don't follow my orders you have to kill your Master," Edward reminded him.

Lancer looked back at Edward with a cold glare. "You have a captive audience. Just like you wanted."

Naomi swallowed again and the fingers around her throat flinched. _"Lancer. Can you still hear me?"_

" _Loud and clear."_ His tone was straight and professional, a testament to his anger. _"This is hell of a predicament to be in."_

Naomi couldn't agree more. _"He used a spell so I can't talk. Command Seals don't work unless I say them out loud. If we wait until it wares off I can reverse the command."_

" _How long will that take?"_

" _I don't know. I'm trying to dispel it."_ As she spoke, she tried to remember where she had drawn the experimental rune on her body. There had never been a proper spell for her to practice it on so she had no idea if she could get rid of whatever Edward had hit her with. She had figured it wouldn't have hurt to try painting it on herself just in case. Dispelling was in the same school as healing, so she figured there was a chance shit could be useful to a Servant.

Edward used another Command Seal. "Dismiss your weapon."

"I hope you'll be ready to die soon." As Lancer spoke, Gáe Bolg vanished in wisps of red mana. His fingers flexed around her throat, but he managed to restrain from applying force.

"I won't be," Edward said with finality. "I have you and your Master's life in my hands." His mouth ticked upwards. "Or rather, you have your Master's life in your hands. You can kill her at any time if you don't want to listen."

"Bastard," Lancer seethed. His thumb twitched up her neck and rested on her pulse.

Naomi tightened her grip on his arms and her heart hammered a mile a minute. Naomi didn't know Lancer well enough to gauge his anger limit or know how far he would go if pushed. If Lancer wanted to kill her to get to Edward, there was nothing she could do to stop him since her voice had been taken away. She was terrified that Lancer was going to kill her right here and now. Every time his finger twitched, she flinched.

"Pick up your Master and follow me." Edward walked to his Servant who had remained silent as a statue. "Let's go, Gawain."

Gawain bowed then picked up Edward. Edward sat in the crook of Gawain's arm and held onto his Servant's shoulder.

"Can you get on my back? I'd rather keep my hands free," Lancer asked her and slowly released her neck.

Naomi nodded, and Lancer moved out from between her legs. He remained crouched and turned his back to her. She hesitated then tentatively wrapped her arms over his shoulders and hooked her fingers together. Lancer gripped under her thighs to keep her from slipping and quickly stood.

Gawain took off at a run.

"Hold on tight," Lancer warned.

Naomi squeezed him with her arms and legs and Lancer freed one hand to grab both of hers. It was large and warm against her cold fingers. The touch was comforting, like an apology. Lancer darted after Gawain, easily keeping pace, and readjusted his grip to her thighs.

The wind that rushed around them bit into her wet clothing and stung her eyes. Naomi buried her face in the back of Lancer's neck and involuntarily started to shiver. His back was warm, but his body heat wasn't enough to stave off the whipping wind. She tried to keep her mind off the cold by focusing on the dispel rune. Prana poured into it, but it wasn't reacting correctly. She could picture its shape and position in her mind, but there was no change in her ability to speak.

* * *

What could have only been around ten minutes felt like an eternity. Lancer landed behind Gawain and the sight of a high school evoked no emotion except 'prison'. It wasn't a school she went to, but Naomi didn't have fond memories of those days. Every day had been a bore in what seemed like its own ecosystem of bitter kids.

Edward motioned for Gawain to set him down. Lancer followed suit and crouched down so Naomi could find her feet. She stepped away from him and Lancer stood rigidly at attention.

An electric jolt fired through Naomi's magic circuits and made her hair stand on end when they entered the grounds.

Edward looked back at her with interest. "I was going to be disappointed if you couldn't sense this Servant."

Naomi couldn't believe the powerful surges of energy that electrocuted the ground she stood on. It was like what Rider had done to grab attention, but it wasn't as far reaching.

Gawain bowed slightly so he wasn't towering over Edward. "This Servant and Master do not appear to care if they are found. Please be cautious."

Edward waved him off. "Their over confidence will be our advantage." His eyes were on Naomi she could see the gears turning behind his blue irises. "I wish I hadn't needed to silence you. It would have made the job easier."

Naomi opened her mouth to tell him off without thinking. Her throat swelled shut, choking her. Her hand hovered over her neck as she coughed, trying to force oxygen through her constricted and abused throat.

Lancer's eyebrows were pinched, and he formed fists at his side. "I'm not sorry it's not working out for you."

Lancer's anger and mounting frustration was so powerful she could feel it oozing through their Master-Servant bond. She was tense, wondering if he would snap at some point. She was at the mercy of everyone here. Any one of them could easily kill her.

She didn't question how Edward came across a master key for the school. He let himself in as if he owned the building. For all she knew, he did.

" _This magic feels slimy."_ Naomi held back a gag. The sensation was crawling and disgusting.

Lancer's eyes slid to her. He was standing close and sounded distracted. _"It stinks. That's for sure."_

" _Don't worry. I'll figure out how to break his command and curse."_

Lancer smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. _"I won't hold it against you if you can't."_

That he wasn't holding his breath stung more than anything. She felt like a failure as a Master that her Servant didn't have faith in her. It made sense after her poor performance as of late. More prana poured into her dispelling rune and she bit the inside of her cheek.

The entry way of the school was further saturated with magic that slithered over her skin like oil.

Edward held up a hand with a short chant and a bobbing orb of green light sprang forth. It illuminated a small area and floated in front of him as he walked.

"You didn't get close enough," Edward chided Gawain. "The magic is coming from a classroom on the third floor. The Servant and Master are sure to know we're here by now."

"Hey!" Lancer barked. "I still can't summon my lance because of you."

"And it will stay sealed." Edward said and turned to walk up the stairs.

"That's fine. All I'll need to kill you is my bare hands." Lancer followed them up and Naomi took up the back of the train.

They were almost at the top when Gawain drew his sword and took point.

"Hellooo there," a high pitched yet clearly male voice greeted.

Naomi glanced around the group to see a lithe man standing at the top of the stairs. If it weren't for the open chest shirt, she would have thought he was a woman.

The stranger had large purple curls spilling out from under a red hat that bore a clock at the center and two large fabric horns sprang from the sides. Under his unnaturally purple eyes were equally purple tattoos hanging under his lashes like clock hands. A red bowtie finished off his garb. His attire was a mismatch of red and purple with plaid style leggings. He looked like something out of a circus act.

"Get a load of this clown," Lancer snarked.

With how saturating the magic in this place was, she couldn't tell if he was the Master or the Servant. Her guess was on the latter. No human looked that unnatural. He was uncanny like a mannequin brought to life.

The man's lazy smile and cat-like eyes slid over them. "My Master has sent me to greet you. It's nice to see that we have three guests. Splendid, splendid!"

Edward was quick to start throwing demands. "Who is your Master?"

"I will escort you to him of course. Come, come. It's best to not leave him waiting. Master hates waiting." The unearthly servant waved them toward him and took off out of sight.

Edward began sprinting after him and Gawain followed suit. At the top of the steps they could see the Servant waiting for them to spot him before he bounded up the next flight of stairs.

" _I don't have a good feeling about this,"_ Naomi muttered in her mind.

"Yeah. I'm not sure we should be running blindly after this guy," Lancer voiced.

Surprisingly, Gawain was the one to acknowledge him. "I have to agree."

Edward's light orb led the way, bobbing up the dark stairs and through the school's hallway. Street lamps cut through the windows and bathed the space with a soft glow.

The eccentric Servant trapezed ahead, staying just far enough that they only caught glimpses of him. At last, he disappeared into a classroom on the third floor.

Edward paused. "Prepare yourself," he told all of them. "Even I don't know exactly what we're about to face."

Gawain took point again and entered the classroom. Naomi faltered in the doorway. The slimy feeling seemed to flow from the room like fast current and it made her skin crawl.

"Something isn't right. The air smells off," Lancer said as if reading her mind.

The room was turned upside down. The desks were shoved to the sides and stacked on top of each other in a messy pile. Many of them were overturned in a tower. In the middle of the room was a faded summoning circle. Venous dark purple masses in the shape of pods pulsed every so often. They stood around the summoning circle and fleshy pink vines were spread across the floor, connecting them to the circle. At the back of the room was the teacher's desk as if it were a throne. Upon it sat a man with brown hair that was starting to gray. He had an overlapping stomach and was likely in his forties. On the desk were empty liquor bottles tipped on their sides.

Bile rose in Naomi's throat.

Lancer snapped a leg off one of the desks and tested the stress of the metal.

"Caster," the man at the desk acknowledge his Servant that was half bowed before him. "What have you brought me today?"

Caster leaped up a stack of desks and perched on a precarious point. It was a wonder the furniture didn't collapse under his weight. "Friends for you, friends for me. Your wish was for companionship, yes?" Caster teetered on the desks.

"Yes!" The Master's grin was lit by Edward's orb that lit the up with a sickly glow. Despite the wine bottles littering the floor, the man's eyes were lucid. "You're an amazing Servant. Brilliant! You've brought me not one but two Masters. Fine friends."

Caster sprang up his perch and crouched on his fingers and toes. "I was made to serve."

The man picked up a bottle that was still upright. "Come have a drink with me so we can get to know each other."

Edward's eyes swept the room with barely constrained disgust. "Fine then."

Gawain reached out to him. "My lord, I would advise against-"

Edward shot him down. "Silence Gawain. Know your place."

The knight deflated. "Yes, my lord."

Naomi felt a bit bad for Gawain even if he was the enemy and had knocked out Lancer. His Master was an overbearing jerk.

Caster's Master poured the liquor into a golden cup embedded with various colored jewels and handed it to Edward. He took it with a fake smile and sniffed the contents.

The Master beckoned Naomi with a waving hand friendly smile that was off. "Why don't you join us?"

Naomi was about to try and speak but quickly remembered the curse. Instead, she gave him a frustrated face.

"It would be better If we got acquainted first. She's lost her voice for the moment." Edward held the goblet aloft, his hand under the rim.

She silently fumed next to Lancer and redoubled her efforts on the dispelling rune.

The strange older man turned his attention on Edward. "A one on one conversation would make it easier to get to know you."

Edward raised the goblet to his lips then set it down. "Why don't you tell me what you and your Servants are doing here at the school? I'm curious."

"Curiosity is dangerous," the Master rumbled. His body language was relaxed but his eyes were predatory.

Edward propped one hip on the desk. "I agree. It's why I asked so I know if its waters I ought to tread or not."

Naomi couldn't fathom how Edward had put on and kept up his cool facade. She couldn't imagine setting another foot into the room let alone making small talk with the man while his unnerving Servant observed.

"You're a smart fellow. We should get along just fine. My name is Fuller what might be yours?"

She kept staring at the flesh things, wondering what their purpose was and what they were made of. It couldn't be anything good.

"Miss!" Fuller called out to her. "It's your turn to introduce yourself. Come here and share a drink."

She crossed her arms and glared at Fuller. She wouldn't leave the entrance without it being her corpse.

"I don't think she cares to try your swill," Lancer couldn't help saying.

"You remind me of my students. Stubborn and obstinate. Caster, mind taking this to her?"

The Servant bounded down from the upturned, stacked desks and nimbly took the goblet between hanging fingers. He cartwheeled on one hand without spilling the contents. Lancer stuck the desk leg out in front of her that he had ripped off previously.

"Don't come any closer unless you're looking for a fight," Lancer warned, his voice chilling.

Caster glanced sideways at Lancer with a lazy smile.

Caster bowed before Naomi, holding the goblet out for her to take like a butler presenting a fine wine. "For you."

If only to make him go away faster, Naomi took it from under Lancer's improvised weapon.

Caster cartwheeled back the way he came and bounded up the desks without rattling them.

Fuller raised his cup. "Let's see if a small thing like you is capable of holding their drink."

" _Small?!"_ She balked incredulously.

" _You do have trouble reaching the top shelves,"_ Lancer managed to tease despite the tense situation.

She sniffed the goblet to hide her growing displeasure.

She tipped the drink back. It smelled like sour wine with something she couldn't place floating underneath. She held it just shy of the liquid touching her lips, then hurled the goblet back at Fuller, hoping to catch him off guard.

Her poor aim made it fly by his head and the liquid splashed his shoulder, soaking his white-collar shirt.

Fuller sighed. "You're worse than the kids I teach."

" _Ask him what he's doing in here,"_ Naomi said. _"Why is the room covered in…flesh?"_ She could hardly believe what she was looking at and was disgusted by whatever those pod things were.

Lancer was all too happy to oblige and raised his voice while taking a step forward, twirling the desk leg. "How about we get to the point. All this posturing is annoying. My Master wants to know what you're planning with your grotesque ornaments."

"Master," Caster interrupted. "Wasn't there something you wanted to show your new friends?"

Fuller rubbed his chin. "There _is_ something. Do the two of you enjoy art?"

Edward didn't miss a beat. "I visit auctions now and again."

Naomi's eyes screwed up in confusion. _"If they stall any longer I'm going to personally kill them both."_

" _I'll hold them down for you."_

She couldn't help smirking at Lancer's reply.

"Did you know that timing is an art?" Fuller asked.

Edward easily said, "I wish I could get El-Mellio II to understand that."

"You're a smart fellow and you're right on time to see my greatest work finished." He looked up at his Servant. "Caster!"

Caster raised his arm to the ceiling and snapped his finger. Fuller watched in anticipation, waiting for something. Caster's amused smile fell to a disappointed frown. "It appears they did not like your concoction."

"I thought at least one of them had tried my drink?" Fuller sighed. "You are no friends of mine. You don't wish to see my art finished. First my students don't care, now this."

The tumorous growths on the floor popped, spilling black pus on the floor. Naomi leaped back and almost retched at the sulfurous smell that spread through the air.

Fuller slowly removed himself from the desk with a grunt. "See, it's already started. I can't stop it now and it will be incomplete because you ruined it."

Edward jumped off the table and ran to Gawain's side. Saber pulled his sword and held it toward Caster.

"There might still be time to use one of them!" Caster said gleefully and leaped off his post with blinding speed straight at Naomi.

Lancer shoved her back and spun the desk leg around Caster's scissors. Naomi stumbled into the hall as Lancer spun around Caster's weapon.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were a statue!" Caster mocked.

Lancer kneed the inside of Caster's arm. The desk leg fell to the ground in bent pieces and Caster stumbled, nearly dropping his scissors. Lancer smashed his elbow into Caster's back then kneed his stomach, sending Caster flying.

The Servant crashed into desks that turned into an avalanche.

The liquid that had burst from the pods was gathering into a single mass. The liquid raised up and took the shape of a humanoid as wide as a man and at least ten feet tall with no neck. The sludge caved in, giving it a semblance of pits for eyes and a cavernous mouth void of teeth. The thing moaned, expelling gas from its open maw. Sludge dripped from its limbs, pooling at its feet and reabsorbing into the creature.

The monster extended its hand and reached for anything standing in its path.

"Gawain, Lancer! Don't engage!" Edward bolted from the room. Gawain hesitated before following.

Naomi didn't have to be told to run.

The creature's hand smashed the floor with a loud splat. Its hand deforming into a puddle before reforming itself.

" _What is that thing?"_ Naomi asked while running down the hall.

Lancer was right behind her. _"Hell if I know. It's big and ugly and I don't have my lance."_

Edward panted out, "Break the window!"

Gawain smashed the hilt of his sword into the glass. His powerful blow sent shock waves through the building as it shattered industrial strength glass like it was made of sugar.

Edward jumped and Gawain followed after him.

Naomi put on the breaks, not ready to jump out of a three-story window. Lancer didn't give her a chance to contemplate her options. He snatched her up and launched out of the window.

Wind rushed around her and Naomi squeezed her eyes tight. Butterflies in her stomach threatened to crawl up and burst from her chest as she tried to grab onto something. Lancer's clothes were too tight to grip so she ended up hanging onto the edges of his shoulder armor in an awkward bridal style.

Lancer landed in a deep crouch to absorb the shock.

The monster's form was starting to ooze out of the shattered window. Its mass plopped on the grass and started reforming.

" _What kind of magic is that?"_ Naomi asked.

Lancer's brow creased as she analyzed the creature. _"Something foul."_

"Hurry up!" Edward shouted. Gawain was holding onto him, standing on the nearest building.

Without hesitation, Lancer raced away from the school. Naomi threw her arms around his neck to keep steady as the world blurred. Lancer jumped into the air, taking to the roof tops.

They didn't travel far.

"This is a major setback," Edward said as he was set down.

Naomi squirmed out of Lancer's iron grip. _"Ask him what that thing was."_ She wanted to yell at Edward so badly as she took aggressive steps toward him.

"What was that thing?" Lancer asked for her, sounding just as angry.

"It was an amalgamation of liquefied corpses. If you had drank his so-called wine your insides would have putrefied. You would have become part of that thing. There may be hope for your brains if not your magic."

Her insides churned at the thought.

"You're dismissed for the night. Lancer. Make sure your Master ends up at the church at eleven in the morning tomorrow."

"Hold it. You're just going to leave? That's it?" Lancer asked.

"That's it," Edward concluded.

"Are you going to give me back my weapon?"

Edward motioned Gawain and was picked up. "There's nothing but yourself preventing you from summoning it. Let's go, Gawain."

Gawain took one last look at Lancer and Naomi before jumping off the building.

Lancer made a sound of disgust and kicked a fan attached to the roof. It crunched and flew off the roof and onto the street below. Naomi stood still, aware they were free yet still attached to a leash. Lancer walked back to her with pinched brows.

" _I'm still working on it,"_ she promised and held her arms close with a violent shiver as a snowflake fell on her nose.

Her clothes had somewhat dried from all the wind and time that had passed, but they were still thoroughly damp and clung to her body. Her extremities were starting to tingle. She would have to change soon and find a way to warm up.

"Good." He bent down to grab something. "Hold your hand out. This will help."

She did as Lancer asked. Something flashed in his hovering fist and he dropped a smooth object into her palm. It was a translucent stone with a rune marking on it. Almost immediately, she felt heat flow from it and snake down her arm. It didn't reach very far, only extending to just past her elbow.

" _Thanks,"_ she said in bewilderment.

He took a step forward. "Hang onto that until we get back. You ready?"

Naomi nodded. _"I want to go home."_

Lancer scooped her up and she held the stone close to her chest. Its flickering warmth spread through her and helped warm her core as Lancer raced back to her apartment. Joan was going to be livid if she found out what had just happened. Naomi was starting to think she might have to suck it up and tell Joan. Her Aunt was much more powerful than her and she might know what to do about Edward.


End file.
